Quill and Ink
by LauraCeleste
Summary: *FINALLY! Chapter 4 Added!* LOZ with a Jane Austen flavor. Absence makes the heart grow fonder. Letters in absence help the fondness along.
1. Prologue

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:: Quill and Ink ::  
A Legend of Zelda Adventure  
By LauraCeleste

Special thanks to the ladies of the LOZFF for beta-ing and friendly support.  
Without you gals, fic just wouldn't be the same.

*********************************************************************

:: Foreword ::**  
**It has been said that absence makes the heart grow fonder. Letters written in absence simply help the feeling along!   
It is this theme that I hoped to explore with this fic. I adore period romances and the courtly manner of speech  
used in those times, so this fic was also an attempt to write a Jane Austen-like tale of love, friendship, family,  
jealousy, intrigue, and the power of the written word.

*********************************************************************

:: Prologue ::

"What a grand ball, your highness!"

A young noblewoman's condescending smile drew Zelda's attention away from the waltzing couples. She smiled accomodatingly and nodded.

"Such wonderful music, such beautiful dancing...," the noblewoman continued.

Zelda sipped her champagne and watched as a young nobleman came to sweep her away in a whirlwind of laughing and gaiety.

"... and a complete lack of excitement," Zelda finished. "No, not such a grand ball after all."

Sitting gracefully atop her velvet-cushioned throne did not constitute her idea of a wonderful evening. However, the king's birthday was an event to be celebrated, and celebrated grandly. No expense was spared in the food or garment, great pains were taken to make the great hall sparkle, and hours were spent braiding and updoing Zelda's hair in just the right way. She longed to be among the couples, dancing for an evening with a nobleman whom she may never see again, but whose company she would enjoy for the length of a dance. 

Before the ball began, her father had cornered her and said, "this is too grand an occasion, my dear, to allow you to mingle freely as usual. You are to stay by my side this night, a portrait of poise and grace, and allow the others to be envious." Of course this did not go over well with her, but she had simply stiffened her posture and looked the other way. Now she was bored. Not to mention in pain. The bodice-figures she wore beneath her jeweled gown were unbearably tight, especially when sitting. 

"Pssst!" Her eyes opened wide at the faint sound. "Zelda!

"Father, would you excuse me?" She stood up stiffly, and he nodded. 

"Return soon - the others will not like to see you gone." 

She nodded her thanks, picked up her skirts, and stepped through the thick velvet curtain into the castle halls. She knew the sound's source.

"You were invited, you know. Papa said you're as good as family, anyway." 

"Odd that he finds me good for anything." Link smiled wryly. "You look nice." 

"Thank you." Zelda grinned and touched a strand of pearls woven into her ornate hairstyle. "Thought it's all a bit heavy." 

"I can imagine. How's the party?"

"The event of the century. You should have come, if only to keep me company."

He chuckled. "I'm here now, aren't I?"

"Yes, you always are." She grinned.

Link offered his arm. "Would her highness care for a walk?"

"Surely. But papa said..."

"Just a quick walk. You need to breathe a little." 

Zelda bit her lip. "I'll never hear the end of it if he comes after me...." Sheaccepted his arm and fell in step beside him. They walked several hundred feet down the corridor, then returned to the curtain.

"You're so lucky, not to be required to attend these things. I wouldn't mind so much if papa would just let me dance a bit. This..." Zelda adjusted the tight bodice, and took a deep breath. "This bodice is just unbearable. But standing helps, and dancing even more."

"What was his excuse?"

"He would rather me be a spectacle, to be gazed at and admired, than to be dancing among the other folk." 

Link only smiled. "As wonderful a spectacle as you make, I believe it is more healthy for you to be participating with your people."

"And I also!" She exclaimed, then sighed. "I should be getting back. Papa's temper rises with each passing moment." 

"Haste, then! Return to your pedestal!" Link joked, then respectfully kissed her hand. "Evening, Zelda."

She smiled defeatedly at him and disappeared through the curtain.

****************************

"My dear, your cousins have been asking for you since you left!" Her father exclaimed when she appeared.

"My cousins? Where are they?" Zelda looked among the crowd. "When did they arrive?"

"Not long ago. The family decided to drop by to extend birthday wishes."

"But from the North? Such a hard journey, in such weather!" She was surprised, for the Northern climate was colder than the region where the castle stood. 

"Zelda!" 

The cheery female voices startled Zelda, who whirled around and found herself being hugged by two people at once. 

"Elinor! Elise!" She exclaimed, hugging the twin girls back as best she could. "I'm so happy that you've come!" As children they had seen each other frequently and were the best of friends, but had been separated when their father, her uncle Henerik, had Ellefson Manor built in the northern lands. Pulling away, she saw coppery-gold hair and brown eyes repeated before her. Elise's face was a bit thicker, perhaps. They were seventeen, the same age as she. 

"Oh, Zelda, what a wonderful evening! Father hoped it would be a surprise, our coming tonight. But then we heard that Elise's chambermaid Luila told Garett the delivery boy, whom she's sweet on, and we thought the entire world would know by sunset! But luckily Garett's word traveled slower than our horses did," Elinor recounted breathlessly. Elise nodded. 

"And Hyrule Castle is so beautiful at dusk, with the sun setting in the distance and its spires reflecting the golden light. Much more grand than our little manor," Elise commented.

"Ellefson Manor is a beautiful home, Elise!" Zelda broke in. "I hear the gardens and the lake are lovely!" 

"We're glad you think so, cousin! Very glad..." Elise began.

"...because father has given us permission to ask you to come back with us!" Elinor finished excitedly. Elise swiftly narrowed her eyes in her sister's direction. 

"B...but we weren't supposed to ask you just yet. He wanted to clear it up with your father first," Elinor added, glancing apologetically at her sister. 

"I would love to spend some time at Ellefson Manor!" Zelda hugged both cousins. "How long did you have in mind?" 

"Two months, perhaps? Maybe three, maybe more! As long as you like, really," Elinor said cheerfully. Zelda was silent for a moment. 

"So long!" She laughed weakly, thinking about all that she would leave behind. She did not have to think long, for she heard her father's voice above the din. 

"Zelda, bring my beautiful nieces over here!" The king shouted, jovially. The three quickly covered the distance, and each hugged their uncle. "My dear brother here wishes to extend an invitation to you. Would you hear it?" 

"Of course!" She said, winking at Elise. 

"My dear niece, we would be honored if you would consider returning with us to Ellefson Manor for an extended visit. Your father and I both agree that the change of scenery may be of great benefit to you, and I believe my girls look upon you as a sister they rarely see. He and I have agreed on a term of four months, in which time we shall both enjoy the comforts of Ellefson Manor and also the beauty of the northern lands. What do you say?"

"Of course!" Zelda exclaimed joyfully, and found herself again being hugged by two at once. She laughed and felt excited, but deep down she knew she would be leaving behind as much as she would be enjoying. 

****************************

The next morning, she wrote a short note to Link:

Link, 

Meet me at the statue of the dolphins in the  
courtyard at noon. I have something very   
important to discuss with you. It is rather  
time sensitive, so please be there if you   
can. 

Zelda

She slipped it under his door on her way to an early breakfast.

****************************

Link arrived promptly at noon and found her already there. 

"Is something wrong?" He asked, sitting on the cold marble beside her. 

"No... not exactly. Nothing's wrong, per say. I'm very excited. But bittersweet, I suppose." 

"Yes... why?" Link pressed for more information.

"After I returned to the ball last night, I learned that my cousins from the north had arrived, hoping to surprise my father. They invited me to return with them to Ellefson Manor, their home. And I agreed to go."

"Is that all? Zelda, I was worried that something bad had happened! How long?"

Zelda bit her lip. "Four months." 

Link was silent for a long moment. "Four months is less than a year, I suppose."

Zelda smiled. "That's true. But it's still a long time. Who are you going to antagonize every day? Who will you take fishing and then regret it when he or she catches a bigger fish than you? Who will argue with you about little things?"

"Now that you mention it, not having you around might make life somewhat peaceful...." 

"...What?" Zelda turned on him quickly.

"...but certainly less enjoyable. Four months is a long time to be away," he finished.

"Yes, definitely."

They sat in silent contemplation for a few moments, and then spoke at the same time. Zelda motioned for Link to speak.

"What... um, not that I'm looking forward to it, because I'm not, but when do you plan to leave?"

"Tonight."

"Tonight?"

"After dinner, we leave for Gennasea. My uncle has brought several of his servants as bodyguards to ride protection, and father is sending a few royal guards to see us halfway."

"Tonight..."

"Yes, it is rather sudden. I wasn't expecting it to be so soon, but Aunt Katriel left some things unattended to, and Uncle Henerik has business in town."

"So be it, then," Link nodded. "You'll be learning all sorts of interesting new things, and exploring new places. You must come back and describe them to me." 

"I will miss going fishing and enjoying the outdoors with you, Link. Truly, I will."

"And fishing won't be the same without you," He murmured gruffly.

"The fish will enjoy my hiatus, though. Give them my regards."

Link nodded and stood. "Be careful, out there. You're going on an adventure, and I won't be there to bring you back down to earth when you get carried away."

"Or to catch me when I fall." Zelda stood and surprised him with a long embrace. "I'll miss you terribly," she whispered into his shoulder.

"And I, you." 

She removed her arms from his shoulders and gave him a sly punch to the arm. "Well, I've got to go help the ladies pack my things. I'll... I'll see you at dinner."

No tears fell as Link watched her sprint away, but he was sure that if he had not been so guarded, they might have soon escaped. 

****************************

Dinner passed without occasion that night. The cooks made every one of Zelda's favorite foods, and her father made a gift of a new handcarved ivory quill and inkwell, plus a stack of fine paper. She promised to write often, as much as her travels would allow. And then the dinner party left to the castle gates, where the carriage was packed and ready. 

"This is really it, then. I have spent my last night in the castle for four months," Zelda whispered to herself, standing before the carriage. Elinor interrupted her melancholy. 

"Oh Zelda, it will be so wonderful! There will be all sorts of balls and events in town to attend, and places to take you, and people to introduce you to! Elise and I will have such a fine time making you at home!" 

"Elinor, dear, I'm sure you shall." She smiled warmly. "I will be along shortly. Let me just say a final farewell, and we shall be off." 

Once Elinor had climbed into the carriage, she approached her father. Much to her surprise, Link had joined him. 

"My darling daughter, be careful in your journeys. I hope that this voyage will teach you much about yourself, and more about the world." He strode forward and wrapped his arms around her, lifting her into the air. A lilting giggle was the result. 

"Thank you, father. Four months from now I shall return a changed person."

"Not too changed, I hope," Link said, smiling. "Take care of yourself." He reached for her hand and lifted it to his lips, applying a gentlemanly kiss. 

"You too." She said, sadly. With a deep breath, she turned away from them and strode to the waiting carriage. Once in, she leaned through the door and waved. "I'm off, then! Good bye!"

Zelda watched from the carriage door until the castle was no longer in sight then lay her head on the back of the carriage seat. Elinor and Elise were both already asleep, and her aunt and uncle were nodding off. The silence of the night in which they traveled left Zelda alone in her thoughts, prompting her to think anew of the things she was leaving behind on her journey and all the new things she would find at the end of it.

****************************

All night and all day they traveled. And when they stopped for a meal in a northern town, Zelda found time to take out her new quill and ink and put her thoughts to paper.

Link,

What a long and arduous journey this is turning out to be!  
Already we have traveled a night and a day, and we are only  
half way to our destination. We have stopped for a short   
meal and so I have decided to pen my thoughts to you, and   
perhaps I shall mail it before we leave. How is my father  
taking my absence? I hope he is not too upset. He seemed to  
be in good spirits upon my departure. 

Elinor and Elise can talk of nothing else but the great  
things we will do, and the balls we shall attend. But my  
thoughts are more agreeably entertained; I am thinking of   
my favorite spot in the library at home and how nice it  
would be if I were sitting there right now, enjoying a fine  
cup of tea and reading one of my favorite stories. Or maybe  
you are there, and I am helping you read it. Regardless, I   
confess I am looking forward to seeing Ellefson Manor soon.  
I'm sure I shall have a wonderful time, once I am there.   
I am only nervous and a bit homesick, that is all. 

Well, it seems as though we are preparing to set off again.  
I must mail this soon! My next letter shall be sent from the  
town of Gennasea, closest to Ellefson Manor. Please keep me  
in your thoughts; my home, and you, will be in mine.

Zelda

******************************************************************************************************************************  
~ FINIS OF PROLOGUE ~  
Please continue the Adventure in Chapter 1!  
******************************************************************************************************************************  
Please review if you enjoyed this fic! I appreciate anything you as a reader have to say. Thank you for reading!

~~@~~LauraCeleste~~@~~  
the_lone_gungirl@yahoo.com


	2. Chapter 1

*********************************************************************

:: Quill and Ink ::  
By LauraCeleste

Special thanks to the ladies of the LOZFF for beta-ing and friendly support.  
Without you gals, fic just wouldn't be the same.

*********************************************************************

:: Chapter 1::

"And this will be your room!" Elinor said with a flourish, throwing open the door and striding animatedly inside. Zelda followed her groggily, wanting nothing more than to toss herself upon her bed and sleep for a day. "Mother had the most beautiful things brought to brighten up the room we prepared for you. This bedspread is one of her favorites, and that china pitcher and washbasin set you see there was a wedding gift long ago, and so were the silver hairbrushes. The dressing table was imported from somewhere or other."

"It's all very beautiful, I assure you. Thank you, and be sure to thank her for me. Or I shall do so myself, at breakfast," Zelda yawned. 

"I can see you're exhausted! Oh, I'm too excited to be exhausted!" Elinor clasped her cousin's hands. "We shall have such fun, the three of us! Such a busy time we shall have these next four months!" 

"I'm sure we shall," Zelda smiled, and her cousin released her hands. 

"But let me take leave of you, so you may get some sleep! Good night." Elinor turned and vanished quickly. 

"Goodness, that girl is a bundle of energy!" Zelda smiled to herself. She began to unpack, but knew that she was far too tired to do so. Instead, she removed her topcoat and traveling dress and hopped onto the bed. 

Thoughts of home filled her mind as she lay staring at the ceiling. She forced the thoughts away, determined to conquer them. "No!" She exclaimed. "I shall not think of home so soon! I must enjoy myself. Tomorrow I shall think of home. But not tonight." 

She got out of bed, threw back the covers, and crawled back in beneath them. Her quick puff blew out the bedside candle, and she closed her eyes to the darkness. 

Moments later, they sprang back open.

***********************************

Link,

Oh, I am so frustrated! I simply could not sleep this night,  
for every time my eyes would close they would spring back  
open with some new memory of home. So I have nothing better  
to do than write this letter of my earliest impression of  
Ellefson Manor.

First let me talk about the weather here. It is certainly   
colder than Hyrule proper, perhaps fifteen or twenty degrees  
so. We must wear a coat when we go outside, but I am not  
complaining! Certainly, it is quite comfortable. If the flowers  
and trees can stand the chill, so can I. 

My uncle's home is much smaller than the castle, of course,   
but is more cozy and warm. It is built of red bricks and is   
only two floors tall, but makes up for its stature with size.   
It is arranged in a hollow square, and in the center is a   
beautiful garden with a fountain and lots of benches to sit   
and read or draw. Outside there are plenty of other gardens  
as well. THe room I've been given is smaller than my one at   
home, but very nice indeed. My aunt furnished the room  
with some of her finest things, like a warm velvet bedspread  
and this very desk I am writing on, a fine handcarved thing.   
I am sure I will be most comfortable here.

Well, I'm sure I've told you enough about gardens and furniture   
to last you 'til my next letter. I shall end this now, and try  
again to sleep. Pass along my love to my father, but keep some  
for yourself as well. 

Zelda

She smiled at the last line of the letter. After cleaning the tip of the quill and putting the stopper in her inkwell she sat them neatly on the desk. 

Zelda stood and stretched her arms over her head, yawning heavily. "Ok. This time they're staying closed," she murmured, crawling beneath her covers. 

This time she was right.

***********************************

"Well, good morning! Welcome to our table!"

Zelda blushed as she found the others in the dining room already seated, apparently waiting for her. "I must ask you to forgive me, I was awake later and slept later than I had intended." She took a seat and waited for the meal to be served. 

"There is no need for bestowing forgiveness, my dear! Take a seat! We have quite a day planned." Henerik spoke from the head of the table as the kitchen ladies spooned poached eggs on their plates. Another kitchen maid was placing bread in the center of the table in a basket, and a third was placing bowls of butter and preserves nearby. "As a bit of a welcoming celebration, we've planned an intimate gathering  
of some of our closest friends from town, so that you may become better acquainted with them. There are many young men among them who love to dance, so you'll never want for a partner." 

"It sounds wonderful, uncle. I should enjoy a good dance." She smiled brightly, leaning slightly to one side so a servant could fill her glass with juice. Once the kitchen staff had placed all the food on the table, they retired and left the family alone to their meal. 

"How was your first night in Ellefson Manor, Zelda?" Her aunt said, sipping her juice.

"Wonderful! Though I confess I had a bit of trouble getting to sleep initially. But it was to be expected, I suppose. I assure you it had nothing to do with my spectacular quarters. Thank you very much for going to such great lengths to make me feel welcome." 

"You are welcome, of course. Perhaps you shall sleep easier tonight." 

"Perhaps I shall." 

"Well, of course you shall! There's to be a ball tonight!" Elinor said with mock earnest, clasping her hands together. Zelda could not help but laugh. 

"Balls and socials... is that all you girls think about?" Her father's voice was steady, but his smile proved he was teasing.

"Oh, no! We think about many other things, Papa. Like what to wear to them!" Elinor's solemn face could not hide her humor. Soon all five were laughing merrily. 

Once breakfast was over, her uncle retreated to his library and the twins offered to take Zelda on a tour of the grounds. Her aunt, she learned, planned on going into town to pick up some things for the ball. Before she left, Zelda caught her and gave her the letter from the night before. She begged her to mail it for her while in town, and her aunt said she would. Relieved, she gave it into her care and left to enjoy the day with her cousins.

***********************************

The gardens outside the home were as resplendent as the one in the courtyard of the manor. Roses tangled and stretched up the trunks of tall, hardy trees, and bushy flowers were planted along the cobblestoned paths leading to the center, where a fountain stood. From the fountain they could travel many paths, each different and filled with new varieties of blooming flora. 

Elinor had been picking flowers all along their route, and finally she begged to be excused so that she may find a vase to put them all in. Once she was out of earshot, her sister spoke.

"I've a question, Zelda." Elise whispered. "Before we left Hyrule Castle, I saw you bidding farewell to a young man. Who is he?"

Zelda paused a moment. "My dear friend, Link. He's like family, really. He protected our kingdom in the dark years, and now he lives at the castle as my personal guard." 

"He seemed sad, when we were leaving. That is why I asked. I did not want to bring it up around Elinor, for though she means well, it would have been the source of endless teasing."

"I understand." Zelda whispered. "I miss him, not as much as I will miss him in later weeks, but more than I have ever had to miss him before. We've become rather close, he and I. Always doing something together, whether it was me teaching him to read, or him teaching me to fish." 

"You've fished?" Elise asked incredulously. Zelda chuckled.

"Yes! And became rather good at it, if I do say so myself! But I always return the fish I catch to the water, for I have no pleasure in killing them."

"I've always wondered what it would be like to fish. Papa always said fishing is a sport best left to the menfolk, but it looks simple enough." 

"It's a bit messy, but as long as you don't wear your best clothes, you're fine! And sometimes after we were finished fishing, we'd go for a quick swim." 

"Oh, I yearn to swim..."

"You've never...?"

"Oh, certainly. But not recently. The weather is too cold up here." 

Zelda sighed. "Someday, my dear, you shall visit the castle again and we shall go swimming in Lake Hylia." The two girls shared a smile.

"What are you girls gossiping about?" Elinor returned, falling in step beside Zelda. 

"Oh, nothing... swimming and fishing." Zelda winked at Elise. Elinor gasped.

"Swimming! Oh, I loved to swim, when we lived in Hyrule proper! Such a wonderful way to spend an afternoon. Why, I remember...." 

***********************************

Link sat propped against a tree in the courtyard, sketching on a piece of scrap paper he'd procured with a piece of charcoal he'd pulled from the fireplace. Boredom had driven him to pick up drawing - a pastime Zelda sometimes enjoyed, but that he had never tried. It was painfully obvious, as he examined the result, that his hands were more comfortable wrapped around a sword or bow than gripping a tiny sliver of burnt wood. 

He crumpled the paper and tossed it aside. 

Link had every intention of going fishing that morning, but when he had begun the walk to his favorite fishing hole, he began to realize just how odd it was not having Zelda to chat with. Sure, she sometimes outperformed him at the sport. But it was the company he valued, not the outcome of the day... no matter how bitter it made him, or how much she gloated. 

"How am I to survive four months?" He grimaced. 

"The same way we all shall, my boy." The voice of the king startled him. 

"Your highness! I didn't hear you coming." 

"I suppose I was rather quiet. But 'tis no matter. You aren't taking my daughter's absence very well, I take it?" 

"I wouldn't necessarily say..."

"It's only been four days, my boy. Surely you don't miss her that terribly...." The king crossed his arms and stared expectantly at Link, who suddenly could not think of a thing to say. "...Or perhaps you do." 

"I enjoy her company very much," Link stated. "So it makes sense that I miss her very much."

"I suppose it is." The king fingered his beard thoughtfully. "Well, once her first letter comes, perhaps you can return the favor and write one of your own. Can you write?"

"Only what she taught me." 

The king nodded thoughtfully. "Enough to compose a letter?"

"Enough to try, at least." 

"Can you read well enough?"

"I think." 

The king placed his hands on his hips. "I'll have an attendant find an old schoolbook of writing and reading and a dictionary or two. They should help you. Thames!" He turned on his heel and strode across the courtyard, calling for his manservant. "Thames! Oh, where are you when I need you?"

He watched the majesty stride away, and felt relief. Though Link was confused about why he seemed so eager to help him, he understood that the king was probably missing his daughter about as much as he was. 

Link rose from his seat on the ground and dusted himself off, planning to make the best of his free time. The promise of a letter from Zelda reinvigorated and inspired him. The library was in the east tower of the castle; in that direction he went, hoping to read a book or two for practice. 

It was there, settled into an armchair with a book by the roaring fireplace that evening, that Link received his first letter. 

***********************************

"What a long and... ar.. du.. us.. arduous... journey...," Link read the letter to himself, going over each word carefully. His lips moved as his eyes took in each finely scripted word. When he got to the part about the library he began to laugh, and then read the portion aloud. "My thoughts are more agg... no, uh... gree... uh... bl.... agreeably! Agreeably enter... entertained. I am thinking of my favorite spot in the library at home and how nice it would be if I were sitting there right now, enjoying a fine cup of tea and reading one of my favorite stories. Or maybe you are there, and  
I am helping you read it." 

A sudden beam of light shattered his emotion. He turned toward the unwelcome disturbance and saw the king walk in. 

"I hear you've received a letter from my daughter!" He said cheerfully. "Once you're finished with... are you alright?"

Link quickly wiped the tearstain away, embarrassed. 

"Yes, sir. Fine. I was just..." 

"No, that's alright. When you're done, come find me and tell me what she has to say." With that, the king nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him and restoring the solitude. 

A log crackled suddenly, startling Link. Shaking his head, he reread the last line before he had been interrupted.

"Or maybe you are there...," he paused, tilting his head back and closing his eyes. A moment passed, and then he finished. "...and I am helping you read it."

He silently finished the rest of the letter, then read aloud the final line: "Please keep me in your thoughts; my home, and you, will be in mine."

He swiped at his eyes with one hand and laughed at himself. 

"And you in mine." He whispered, refolding the letter. 

***********************************

"Uh... Your highness?" 

Link felt bad for interrupting the king's study, but once his voice was heard the king sprang from his seat and strode to him. "Well, my boy, how is she?"

Link smiled. "They were not yet to Gennasea. The letter was dated two days ago; it would be the day after she left." 

"Well, did she say anything?"

"Nothing, really. She was nervous, but excited. And that her home remains in her thoughts." He kept her mention of the library to himself. 

"Well then. You want to write her back, I think?"

"Yes, definitely." Link said. "But I need some paper and a pen."

"They are already in your room, along with the books Thames retrieved." 

Link was rather taken aback. "Th..thank you, sir." He bowed respectfully. 

"If you need any help, come to me straight away." 

Link assured him that he would, and once he was away from the king's door he sprinted for his own, eager to begin writing his first letter. 

***********************************

Zelda,

I am not very good at writing letters yet so please bare

"No, that's not right." Link scratched out the word and continued.

please bear with me. Thank you for the letter, I was very happy to read that your

Link consulted his dictionary.

journey has been safe so far. By now you should be already at

He picked up the letter and scoured it for mention of the place.

Ellefson Manor. Life has been very boring since you left. I   
tried to go fishing today but when I started walking there  
I thought of you and I turned back. So I got a piece of   
charcoal from the fire and tried to draw but I was not cut  
out to be an artist. The rest of the day I have been reading   
hard in the library, just like you said in your letter, except  
you are not here to read with me. 

He paused for a moment, considering what to write next. 

I hope that you are having a very exciting time. I don't mind   
if you forget about me because of the great new things   
you're doing. I can't help but have you in my thoughts since  
everything I try to do has a memory of you attached.   
Please write again soon.

With a flourish he signed his name at the end of the letter, then sat back to read it over. Five minutes later, he crumpled it up and threw it into the fireplace.

Four hours later, this is the letter he sent:

Zelda, 

I'm really not good at writing letters yet so please bear  
with me. I was very happy to get your letter. Knowing that  
your journey was safe is comforting. By now you should  
already be at Ellefson Manor.

Life has been very boring since you left. I tried to go  
fishing today but I had to turn back because when I started  
walking there I thought of you. I got a piece of charcoal  
from the ashpile and tried my hand at drawing but I was not  
cut out to be an artist. After that I spent the rest of the  
day reading in the library as you said in your letter, except  
you are not here to read with me.

I trust that you will be very happy at Ellefson Manor. I won't  
mind if you forget about me from time to time because of  
the excitement of these next four months. However, I can't  
help thinking of you since everything I try to do has a  
memory of you attached. I hope to hear from you again  
soon. Til then, remember me kindly, when you can.

Link

******************************************************************************************************************************  
~ FINIS OF CHAPTER 1 ~  
Please continue the adventure in Chapter 2!  
******************************************************************************************************************************  
Please review if you enjoyed this fic! I appreciate anything you as a reader have to say. Thank you for reading!

~~@~~LauraCeleste~~@~~  
the_lone_gungirl@yahoo.com


	3. Chapter 2

*********************************************************************

:: Quill and Ink ::  
By LauraCeleste

Special thanks to the ladies of the LOZFF for beta-ing and friendly support.  
Without you gals, fic just wouldn't be the same.

*********************************************************************

:: Chapter 2 ::

The full-length mirror that Zelda's aunt had sent to her room reflected her image well, and she could not help but smile. It was not her own reflection that amused her but the room reflected behind it; a reminder of how far she was from home.

The gown she chose to wear to the ball, a pale blue silk with strings of sapphires to braid up into her hair, was more simplistic than she would wear to a castle celebration. She reasoned that an intimate gathering such as the one planned for that night would not warrant her full finery, and instead chose a more approachable, attractive dress. The short sleeves covered just the very top of her arms, but long white gloves made up for the bareness. Its neckline, though tasteful, was still much lower and more provocative than she would have comfortably worn among the prudish old nobility at home. The rules of fashion were relaxed so far from its center, so she hoped the outfit would be completely accepted. 

Another glance in the mirror made her adjust the top of the dress. She tried to step back and see herself in a new light, but she could not shake her feeling of being overly exposed. 

"Knock, knock!" The spoken sound at the door surprised her, particularly because it was not Elinor who spoke, but Elise. She carefully found her way to it, then opened the door to allow her inside. 

"Elise! Thank you for coming! I needed a good opin...." Zelda stepped back, examining her cousin's dress with wide eyes. "That's a... a very beautiful dress! It's certainly...."

Elise laughed. "In the northern realms we dress less conservatively than you're used to; I can tell by the look on your face!" 

The dress Elise wore was a soft patterned green color, cut similarly to Zelda's but without the finesse of a royal tailor. Its sleeves were fitted to her elbow and a thin band of satin ribbon lined the bottoms of the sleeves and the dress. It was the neckline that startled her, dipping far lower than she had ever worn and daring to reveal the soft curve of cleavage. 

"But it's very beautiful! It's just... well, as you say, less conservative than I'm used to." Zelda smiled awkwardly. "I meant to ask you if mine was cut too low, but I suppose it must seem rather matronly." 

"On the contrary, it's exquisite. I'm sure my mother's friends have never seen such finery, and I'm certain my friends have not! The jewels, are they...?"

Zelda nodded. "Sapphires."

Elise's eyes grew big. "My Goodness! I should have expected them to be such." 

"May I ask your opinion, though? Is the dress appropriate for the occasion?" 

"Oh, certainly!" Elise nodded. "And if you're lucky, the men shall spend more time gazing at your pretty face than the expanse of skin below it."

Zelda thanked her. "At home, I'd have asked Link's opinion. It is not always what I want to hear, but he is honest. Here, I shall rely on you for the same." 

Elise smiled. "I shall do my best to act in his stead." 

"The only thing I can't expect from you, my dear cousin, is to provide the honest response of a man. That is one opinion I'm sure no woman can offer!" Zelda chuckled. Elise admitted it was so.

Zelda once again found herself staring at her reflection in the mirror; this time wishing her neckline was just a bit lower, or the cut just a bit more flattering. She resolved instantly to have a new dress ordered the very next day. 

"I intend to enjoy myself tonight," she murmured matter-of-factly to herself, lightly powdering her face and chest. One final glance in the mirror told her that she was ready. With a deep breath to calm her nerves she linked arms with her cousin and elegantly strode toward the great hall, hoping to make a favorable impression.

**************************

The great hall of Ellefson Manor was filled with fine food, rich wine, and beautiful people. Zelda's aunt Katriel had spread the word among Gennasea's elite and all of them came to see the glittering princess. While waiting for her to appear they entertained themselves by dancing to the fine music Henerik had arranged. 

When the door finally opened, every head turned and the music stopped. 

"My daughter, Lady Elise of Gennasea, and my dear niece, her highness Princess Zelda of Hyrule Proper!" Henerik announced loudly, striding to greet them amid the whisperings and murmurings of nobles receiving their first glimpse of their future queen. Zelda and Elise each clasped one of Henerik's arms and he escorted them to the dining tables. Once they were seated, he motioned for the band to begin playing again. 

Zelda realized she had been holding her breath. She softly exhaled. 

"I don't think I've ever been so nervous," Elise murmured. "So many eyes." 

"You may think I've become accustomed to it, but when it comes time to make my appearance I always feel terribly nervous. Where is Elinor?" 

"In the midst of the couples, as usual. A new gent every minute. I'm more inclined to enjoy the company of one." Elise regarded the dancing couples forlornly. 

"Who is he, then?" Zelda smiled keenly, having understood what Elise had not admitted. Elise blushed rapidly.

"Oszkar Cadwallen," she said, then laughed. "But just Oszkar to me."

"I've not heard of him," Zelda teased, then winked. "But I'm sure I shall." 

Just then, Elinor's voice aroused both their attentions. "Why are the two of you not dancing! My goodness!" She had a young man on each of her arms. "Here's an available partner. See what you can do with him." She released one of the men and then tugged on the arm of the other. They returned to the dance floor.

Elise shakily stood and tried to compose herself. 

"Cousin, this is my dear friend Lord Oszkar Quentin Cadwallen of Gennasea." She took the arm of the tall, fair haired young man with piercing dark eyes and a fine soft jaw. He bowed low with respect. 

"Your highness," Oszkar greeted. "It is my honor to finally make your acquaintance. I have heard many things about you from your cousins."

"I can only hope they've all been favorable! The pleasure is mine as well." 

Another man had come up behind Oszkar and greeted him warmly. Oszkar seemed surprised, but shook his hand and returned the warm greeting. He was slightly taller than she but shorter than Oszkar. His auburn hair, long but pulled neatly into a queue, and kind blue eyes were very appealing. For a moment she compared them to Link's, but she quickly pushed the thought out of mind before she could decide on whose were bluer. She found herself smiling far longer than she ought.

"It seems that we're both without a partner, sir. Might I ask your name?"

"Aurick Salbatore, your highness. I would be greatly pleased to have an opportunity to dance with you this night." He bowed and smiled warmly. "That is, if her majesty approves." 

"My goodness, I'm due for a dance. Take me away, Lord Aurick!" She dramatized, her smile escalating to a broad grin. 

So she was escorted into the line of dancing couples, and the two dipped and spun and pranced their way to the end of the dance. When it was over, Aurick escorted her back to her table, where Elinor sat rubbing her foot. 

"I haven't danced like that for several years!" Zelda exclaimed as she settled into a seat. Elinor laughed.

"Obviously, neither have I. Oh, I shall have blisters aplenty come tomorrow morning. But it is worth it!"

"Might I have the pleasure of your highness' company?" Aurick motioned to a seat beside her. Zelda nodded, and Aurick seated himself. From the corner of her eye, Zelda saw Elinor recoil and then shakily stand.

"Well, I'll have to tolerate them as best I can! Back to the floor I go!" Elinor limped off suddenly, startling Zelda. Bewildered at her cousin's sudden departure, she blinked and shook her head.

"Well, that was a surprise," Aurick huffed.

"Yes, quite. I wonder what made her react so?" 

"Tis no matter, I'm sure. Elinor is a flighty girl; sweet, but absent-minded. You know it to be true." 

Zelda was a bit miffed. "That is my cousin you are speaking of, sir! Would you insult her to my face?"

"Ah, I fear I have piqued her highness' anger." He bowed his head and made a gesture of guilt. "My own opinions of your dear cousin should not have been so forcefully imposed upon you. Please, forgive me." 

"I accept your apology, on the grounds that you shall never insult my dear cousin again. To my face, or any other." 

"A welcome sentence." The smile spreading across Aurick's face was infectious, and soon Zelda too was smiling again. 

"Tell me about yourself, Aurick. What do you do?" Zelda relaxed in her seat and smiled encouragingly. "What is your story?"

"My father is a banker. I have simply been learning my family trade," he explained, leaning forward in his seat. "I studied at the university for a couple of years before returning to help him in his duties." 

"And what of your mother? Or sisters and brothers?"

"My mother keeps up our society's presence through tea luncheons and monthly guild meetings. I've no brothers or sisters to speak of." 

"Neither do I, so I suppose we are even on that count." Zelda smiled and was about to go on when she was interrupted by Elise. 

"Ah, Zelda," Elise said breathlessly, "how are you enjoying the ball?" 

"Quite well. And the two of you?" She smiled at Oszkar, whose face was flushed with excitement.

"Oh, delightful. I'd like to introduce some friends to you, if I may." Elise motioned to a pair of ladies with curly brown hair. One came to stand beside Elise as she introduced them.

"This is Iryna Melisande, one of my closest friends," Elise said, motioning to the lady beside her. "The other is her sister Alasne."

Zelda greeted both girls and admired their beautifully made gowns. "Pray tell, where did you have those wonderful gowns made?"

"Our mother, your highness. She is a seamstress." Iryna said softly, managing a nervous curtsy. 

"Well then! I shall have Elise bring me for a visit sometime in the coming week. I'd adore a new dress." She smiled warmly and the girl seemed to relax a bit. "And it's much simpler just to call me Zelda." 

"Very well, Zelda." Iryna smiled brilliantly.

Suddenly Alazne, who had been quiet until then, broke her silence. 

"Interesting company you're keeping these days, Aurick." She pinned the man with her young gaze and spoke with sharpness. "Moving along quite nicely, considering." 

"Thank you, Alazne." He said simply, meeting her gaze with an air of confidence. Alazne's eyes flashed with barely repressed fury, and she stormed off in the same fashion as Elinor had earlier. Zelda was greatly confused. 

"You have quite an effect on young women, Aurick." Zelda commented.

"I wonder what has offended her so?" Iryna wondered aloud. Oszkar regarded Aurick curiously.

"Excuse me," Aurick said, standing abruptly, "but another dance is starting up, and I would like to ask your highness for the pleasure of being her partner once more." 

"Ah... well, I suppose. No other man has requested a dance." She stood and allowed him to lead her away. 

"There is something about that man I do not like," Iryna murmured, once Zelda was out of earshot. "He seems nice enough, but after my sister's actions I can no longer fully trust him. I shall have to speak with her later."

"Yes, and then let me know what her motives were." Oszkar said. "I do not know what the situation may be." He shared a concerned glance with Elise.

Out of the corner of her eye, Elise saw Zelda and Aurick dancing. They kept in perfect time with the other couples, laughing as they twirled and switched sides. His beaming smile covered his features and Zelda shared his good cheer.

"Come, Oszkar... a good dance will put this behind us." Elise took his arm and the two strode toward the couples, hoping to soon understand what had passed between Elinor, Alazne, and Aurick that had caused such resentment all around. 

**************************

Dinner soon followed. Zelda sat at a table with her aunt and uncle, cousins, Oszkar, and Iryna, and enjoyed the feast. 

"Hasn't this been a spectacular party?" Katriel asked her niece between bites of roast goose. 

"Quite! I've been able to dance just about every round." She smiled sympathetically at Elinor, whose sore foot had been attributed to a sprained ankle she had kept to herself.

"And with almost a new partner every time!" Elise said, after taking a spoonful of soup. 

Zelda sipped her wine and examined Elinor curiously. The usually chatty girl was silent, ate slow, and stared into her soup.

"Are you not feeling well, Elinor dear?" She questioned. 

"No! No, I'm just fine. My foot's still a bit sore, but I think right after dinner I'll be good for another five or six dances!" 

Her enthusiasm seemed genuine, but Zelda knew it was markedly forced. Something was bothering Elinor.

"Once we are finished eating, I would like to take you around and introduce you personally to some of my closest friends and colleagues," Henerik commented, adjusting his napkin. "Would that be alright with you?" 

Zelda agreed to be taken around, and once they were finished eating Henerik did so. He took her to many of the tables and introduced her to his colleagues in the law business, old friends he valued dearly, and some of his newer acquaintances as well. By the time they returned to their table, nearly every well-known person in Gennasea had met and spoken with their princess. 

Once Zelda and her uncle had returned to their seats a toast was ordered, and after they had toasted the night's wine supply away, they took to the dance floor again. The ball lasted to the wee hours of the morning, when everyone dragged themselves to their carriages and began the short journey into town. It was all Zelda could do that night to climb the stairs to her room, carefully remove her gown, and slip into her nightshift. Her mind reeled with the excitement of the evening, particularly the intrigue with Aurick. She could not shake the sound of Alazne's rancor, nor could she forget Elinor's peculiar change in mood. Aurick was charming to be sure, but Zelda felt that he was tainted somehow.

She gazed at the quill pen and blank sheet of paper lying ready to receive her experiences, ponderings, and observations. She felt the need to write while they were still fresh in her mind, but her mind was so befuddled with wine and excitement that she could not concentrate. Instead she turned back the covers and fell into bed. 

Luckily, sleep was not so elusive that night. 

**************************

"Hylian Law, volume eighty-three. No, no, the other way... yes, that one." 

Link climbed the ladder and withdrew the book from its lofty position. He brought the dusty tome to the King and dropped it onto his desk, stepping back as the dust flew aloft in every direction. 

"What a book!" Link exclaimed, using his hand to brush the thick dust from its cover. "And there are a hundred volumes just like it, this big?" 

"Hundreds. Hylian politics are a very complicated science, Link; this is not the Hyrule of old where there was just one small kingdom to govern. Now we have provinces, territories, alliances, diplomatic relations to keep up... it's a great deal of work." 

Link sat in a chair beside the king and watched him do his work. His boredom had reached such a level that he had offered to run errands for the king. Today the king asked him to fetch books.

"What exactly are you doing, there?"

"Right now, going over a trade agreement." He adjusted his spectacles. "I have to dissect each line to make sure foreign countries don't try to deceive us."

"Would they do that?" Link said incredulously.

"Oh, in a heartbeat. Loopholes were made for exploiting, Link, so I must be sure to close them before they can be breached...." 

"...Kind of like chinks in armor."

"Precisely! You catch on quickly." The king smiled and went back to his work. Several pages later he stopped again. "Hylian Law again, but volume forty-nine this time. You may take eighty-three back." 

Link cradled the heavy book under his arm and climbed the ladder, cringing as it shook precariously. He understood why the king wished someone to help him retrieve them. The gap left by the first volume was obvious; he replaced it quickly, found forty-nine with little problem, and brought it back to the desk. He plopped it down in similar fashion and then resumed his seat.

"I wonder what Ze... her highness is doing, this moment?" Link wondered aloud. 

"Probably what every other young lady in Gennasea is doing; gossiping or sipping tea. Though sometimes they do take fine walks through the countryside. The land is mightily beautiful up there, you know. Very rugged, very pristine."

"I've never been that far north."

"Perhaps you shall, someday." The king dipped his pen into his inkwell and continued writing, leaving Link lost in his thoughts again.

"Do you think she's meeting many new people?" He spoke aloud once more.

"I intend for her to. She led such a sheltered life here; I'm hoping that this journey will give her a fine introduction to the world. She'll make many new friends among the Gennaseans, her cousins will see to that. I also know for a fact that there are many eligible young men among them, very fine men of good breeding." He paused a moment while he opened the tome and found the page he sought, then continued. 

"I fully expect her to evaluate them with marriage in mind." 

Link's spine bristled suddenly. "Mma... Marriage?"

"Well, she is approaching eighteen, you know. That is a prime age for a young princess to marry. If we are lucky, we shall see her return with a potential mate in tow." 

"You're that confident she'll find a husband there?" Link said, unable to keep the despair out of his voice. The king nodded and then went back to his work, leaving Link to despair to himself. 

'Why am I upset?' He asked himself. 'Did I ever truly think I had a chance?'

He stiffly stood and went to the window, leaning himself against the sill and berating himself silently.

"Don't look so glum, boy! The bonds of your friendship with my daughter are not so easily broken."

Link heaved a great sigh and endeavored to look nonaffected. 

"What sorts of books does your library hold, exactly?" Link changed the subject, examining the tall wall of books.

"Many that the castle's library does, and many that it does not," the king answered cryptically. "There is a great deal of fine knowledge if one knows what he is looking for." 

Link was quiet for a moment. "Hylian history." 

"What era?"

"I don't know, well... starting with early primitive Hyrule I suppose. When did my ancestors come to be?"

"About that period. Try...," The king examined the wall, then pointed to a shelf in the far right corner. "Those are from about that era, you should look there.. Are you looking for anything in particular?"

"No, just something new to read." Link dragged the ladder to that section of the library and climbed it. He examined the titles and pulled out two comparatively small but still heavy books. 

"You're becoming quite the reader, eh?" The king went back to his writing. 

"I'm becoming quite the practicer. I'm not sure if I would go so far as to call it reading yet." Link carefully descended the ladder and brought the books to his chair. He began to sit, but the king stopped him.

"Actually, that should be the last for today. If you are equally free tomorrow, come see me again." The king replaced his pen in its well and shuffled his papers. 

"I'll do that. May I bring this book back tomorrow, then?"

"Certainly. You may keep it as long as you like." 

"That's alright. I'll only need it for this one night." Link thanked the king, then left him, eagerly anticipating what the books would contain. 

**************************

Link, 

I fully intended to write this letter this past evening after the  
ball when the events were fresh in my mind. However, fine wine and  
a barrage of events made me too tired to do so. I shall attempt to  
chronicle them in as much detail as I can bear, using every sheet   
of paper I own if I must. 

Oh, the ball was wonderful, so different from the balls at the castle.   
There were only about thirty or forty people present, but everyone  
was dancing and laughing and talking! Oh, I've not had such a fun time  
at a ball in years. But I won't bore you with details of each dance,   
as I'm sure you're more eager to learn about the partners! Elise and   
Elinor introduced me to a...

A knock at the door made Zelda lose her train of thought. "Coming!" she shouted, replacing her pen in its well and hurrying to the door.

"Are you awake?" Elinor peeked inside, inquiring quietly. 

"Oh yes, I was simply writing a letter. Is something the matter?"

"Oh, no! Elise and I are going into town and we thought you might like to come. We can stop by Iryna's mother's shop and see about having you that new dress made, and then we can call on Oszkar." 

Zelda looked back at the letter she had meant to write last night. She had felt guilty about not writing it then, and she felt even more so about not writing it now. The paper would still be there when they returned, she reasoned, even though her memories might not. Perhaps she would have more new things to write about then! She made up her mind.

"Why not! Let me get my coat and hat. I'll be down shortly." The twins beamed and said they would wait on her outside, and Zelda closed the door. She quickly strode to her closet to remove her coat and hat with sea-green ribbons. 

"Forgive me, Link... tonight, I will finish your letter!" She exclaimed as she donned the outerwear and hurried to meet her cousins.

**************************

Link, 

I fully intended to write this letter this past evening after the  
ball when the events were fresh in my mind. However, fine wine and  
a barrage of events made me too tired to do so. I shall attempt to  
chronicle them in as much detail as I can bear, using every sheet   
of paper I own if I must. 

Oh, the ball was wonderful, so different from the balls at the castle.   
There were only about thirty or forty people present, but everyone  
was dancing and laughing and talking! Oh, I've not had such a fun time  
at a ball in years. But I won't bore you with details of each dance,   
as I'm sure you're more eager to learn about the partners! Elise and   
Elinor introduced me to all their friends and I enjoyed dances with   
many of them. Perhaps the most curious of them was a young man  
named Aurick Salbatore, who has a strange effect on women indeed!  
We danced the first dance together, and then when we approached  
our table where Elinor was sitting, she jumped up and scurried away!  
I noticed the strangest expression on her face when he sat down. Later,  
when Elise introduced me to her friends Iryna and Alazne, such feelings  
were revealed! The younger girl Alazne remarked to Aurick how well  
he was doing, though her voice simply dripped with anger, and his  
nonchalant response simply enflamed her so much that she stormed  
away! I find no fault in him, however; he is charming, and I did enjoy my  
handful of dances with him. He is also handsome, with eyes as blue as  
yours, but without the spark of mischievousness that I adore. Oh yes,  
and Elise also introduced her beau Oszkar to me; he is quite pleasant  
indeed, and I believe they are quite happy with each other's company.   
Perhaps while I am here there shall be a wedding, or at least an   
engagement! How exciting that would be!

Just after I started this letter this morning, my cousins invited me  
along on their venture into town to pay visits to some of their friends.  
I also wanted to see about having a new dress made. I did, but that's not  
important! The interesting things are what happened when we went to   
visit Iryna and Alazne. After I had described the type of dress I wanted to  
her mother and after she had taken my measurements, The three of us  
sat in their parlor with Iryna and Alazne. We all took tea while the girls  
gossiped. I learned all sorts of things about the people I met the night  
before. For one, I am more certain that there is some sordid secret  
between Aurick, Alazne, and my cousin Elinor. When Iryna mentioned  
his name, her sister and my cousin nearly jumped out of their skins.  
Elinor was peculiarly silent, and Alazne, the exact opposite! It was all  
she could do to stay in her seat as she spat out her derision for him.  
Iryna was very apologetic, fearing that her sister had offended me. I  
made sure to convince her that she had done nothing of the sort. Then  
later, after we left, who did we meet on the street but Aurick himself!  
He offered to give the three of us a ride back to Ellefson Manor, and  
since it was starting to rain we agreed. (How insane we were to walk  
there!) Poor Elinor looked as if she had sat on nails when she sat in  
his carriage, but Elise and I enjoyed the trip and conversed with our  
gallant driver. When we arrived at Ellefson Manor he helped us down from  
the carriage (even Elinor.) I must say that my own opinion of him does  
not match her opinion, or Alazne's opinion for that matter. Elise does  
not know what to think of him, but she agrees that it was nice of him  
to offer us a ride back.

I have only just arrived home from that ride and I believe I hear Elise  
calling me for dinner. Please write soon, as I long to receive word from  
home! Please distribute my love to my father, and as always, save some  
for yourself. 

Zelda

**************************

The library was coziest with a fire roaring and a chair drawn close. Link had drawn it there many hours before, and now sat rather comfortably as he digested the contents of the books he had taken from the King's library. 

He started with his earliest known ancestor, the Link known as the Hero of Time. Compared to his other ancestors, very little was known about him. He had simply appeared one day as a child, dressed in the strange green clothes of the Kokiri, and had befriended the Princess. It was she who called him the hero, but he had done nothing heroic in the public's eye. Some speculated that his title came from something no one save the Princess and Link would ever share. A footnote told him that there was more to the story, but that the Princess Zelda would only hint at its content. She would only say that Link was a greater hero than their world had ever seen, and that every being owed their life to him. It seemed to be a perfect fairytale, but in the end, Link chose a farm girl over the princess and no one understood why.

The next Link, several hundred years down the way, was the son of a Hylian knight. Link II claimed he heard the princess's voice calling to him one rainy night, begging him to help. It was a tale of magic and monsters, of power corrupting absolutely, and of the first known rise and fall of the wizard-creature Ganon, whose henchmen murdered the king and bewitched most of the royal guards. His father had gone off to help that rainy night, but curious Link had disobeyed his father and followed him. Later that night, when his father lay helplessly dying by the castle, the child took up his father's sword and shield and went on to help Zelda to safety and to restore power. He became a royal guard himself after that and served the country well. Though the Princess and the Hero were close friends, both married independently and grew apart.

After that came the dark years of Hyrule, when Ganon rose more powerful than ever and succeeded in bending all to his whim. The land was changed, barren, and fearful. Its inhabitants hid their homes under bushes or in caves, All the fine temples were again filled with creatures whose existence reeked of sorcery, and the boy Link was again called upon to help. Again, he defeated Ganon and retrieved the Princess. After the kingdom was rid of the wizard Link set out to help rebuild the kingdom. Those were years of great prosperity for Hyrule. When he came of age he was told that one of Zelda's lineage had been magically put to sleep years before, and lay waiting for the one who could finally restore her life. Ganon's henchmen, having scattered to the wind once their master was defeated, were rousing support to find and kill Link and then use his blood to revive their fallen king. Link was ultimately victorious and it was often rumored that the princess and the hero had romantic feelings, but in the end Link decided to set off on a voyage of discovery and explored the world. 

Several hundred years later, he himself would become an entry into the books. His only difference was that he did not yet know how his story would end. 

Link sat back and sighed. He slammed the book shut with a great flourish and laid it on the floor beside him. A million stories and names were running through his mind, a million heroic deeds that made his own seem futile. Even as the words ran through his head he could scarcely believe them. Most were tales of great magic and mystery, things which simply did not exist in Hyrule anymore. Monsters were devices to scare children, not beings who walked upon the same ground as humans. And throughout the stories he noticed one recurring theme; the stories never ended with a fantasy's flair. The princess never married the hero, only befriended him. 

Link could only wonder how his own chapter would read. He had not known of the legends when he, as the son of a castle scullery maid, had helped the Princess escape from the castle amid the explosions of cannons and clanking of swords. Then, once they were safe some distance away, he was able to rally local townsfolk to help retake the castle (especially with the foreign army weary from their battle.) He became Zelda's protector and best friend, just like the books said he would. He was her bodyguard through many crises, ready to escape with her at a moment's notice if need be. That was his duty, and the reason the King had given him a room in the castle. But as years went by and diplomacy culled the rising tempers of foreign nations, peace became the overriding norm and his duties were loosened. The Princess could be safe without him. 

'So where do I fit in?' He asked himself. He was not a fine swordsman. His courage and strength were not extraordinary. And try though he might, he was not the smartest creature. His father and mother were too poor to send him to school, so he had learned only simple things helping his father on their small farm. Once he began living at the castle, Zelda began to teach him how to read. Many of his fondest moments were spent close to the fire as he was now, sharing the oversized chaise with Zelda as she helped him work through the words in her schoolbooks. He could almost sense her there, feel the warmth of her tucked in beside him, her cheek resting on his shoulder as she read along.

She was in his thoughts as always, but the reminder of their happy times spent before the fire made him yearn for her company all the more. He remembered the glow of her face in the firelight as she patiently urged him on, laughed gaily at his mistakes, and rapped him gently on the head when he became discouraged. The memory of his very first kiss, a chaste little moment of experimentation that brought about a flurry of innocent giggling, lingered favorably in his mind. But even the innocent affection they shared as children could not shake the overriding truth history had shown him; that he was living a fantasy destined to end in reality. Though it was painful to admit, the wheels were already turning in favor of her finding a mate in Gennasea. The more time passed, the more she slipped away. 

He stomped to the window and looked out into the night. The cloud-obscured sky held no stars to wish on and no moon to give him hope. He pursed his lips indignantly and looked out toward the north, imagining he could see across the land to Ellefson Manor. He could no more see the place than he could know her heart.

"The bonds of your friendship with me are not so easily broken," Link whispered bitterly, echoing the King's words. He leaned heavily on the sill. "But friendship is all we may ever have. Your father will see to that."

He suddenly felt very alone. 

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~ FINIS OF CHAPTER 2 ~  
Please continue the adventure in Chapter 3!  
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Please review if you enjoyed this fic! I appreciate anything you as a reader have to say. Thank you for reading!

~~@~~LauraCeleste~~@~~  
the_lone_gungirl@yahoo.com  
IE Browsers: http://celestial.topcities.com


	4. Chapter 3

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:: Quill and Ink ::  
By LauraCeleste

Before I begin, I'd like to send a shout-out to everyone who has left a review. I appreciate each  
and every comment; it inspires me to write the next chapter quicker. I hope you will enjoy this  
chapter just as much, if not more. And as always, thanks to the LOZFFML... the bestest group  
of aficionados and pals ever, my quality-control!

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:: Chapter 3 ::

It seemed that the world was convinced to force Link from bed, sending a sunbeam to infiltrate the window drapes and spotlight his face as well as a messenger to knock raucously at his chamber door. He sleepily stretched and slid from bed, grumbling general insults toward the world as he went to put an end to the knocking. 

"Mail for you, sir!" 

The courier, a boy Link assumed to be the same age as himself, smiled a little too broadly and spoke a little too cheerfully. Link accepted the bundle of letters but realized he had forgotten tip money. 

He motioned to give him a moment, then turned and dug several coins out of his desk drawer. He returned and dropped the gold into the boy's hand. 

"Thank ye, sir." The courier bowed graciously and left Link to examine his bundle. Excitement quickly replaced curiosity, however, and he found the nearest chair so that he could read them.

The first letter was from the postmaster, explaining that the mail had been delayed due to the weather.

The second was from Zelda.

His fingers shook as he pried open the wax seal and straightened the folded paper. He slowly took in each word, laughing at her good spirits. Though he still stumbled over the larger words, he now felt more comfortable reading. Her reassurance that she would be happy at Ellefson Manor relieved him, but reminded him that she would not be home soon. The last line, instructing him to pass her love to her father and to keep some for himself, made him smile. 

He put the first letter down and read the second. 

"A ball?" he wondered instantly. He knew how much Zelda abhorred most balls, but suddenly it seemed her favorite activity. He frowned, half happy that she was having a grand time, and half upset that she was having such a grand time without him.

Then she mentioned Aurick Salbatore. 

A sudden chill ran from the top of his scalp to the base of his spine. A new man. He had not heard the name, but it did not surprise him. There would be many new men. Yet the way she spoke of him so frivolously bade him take notice. The other girls' reactions also deeply frightened him. Why would they have such a disagreeable opinion of the man?

A chill gripped his chest as she remarked of his good qualities; to her he was charming, handsome, and a fine dancer indeed. He read and reread the line about Aurick's eyes; professed to be as blue as his own, but without some mischievous spark that she attributed to them. Link put down the letter and hurried to his mirror, but found nothing particularly special about his eyes. He returned to his letter. 

"Perhaps while I am here there shall be a wedding, or at least an enj..engagement! How exciting that would be!" Link read her words aloud and frowned, wondering if she knew how much her father hoped for that very thing to occur, and how much he hoped for it to be avoided. 

As he began the paragraph about her voyage into town, he found his opinion of her new friend Aurick to diminish greatly. There was too much controversy surrounding the man. She mentioned a "sordid secret" between her cousin Elinor, Aurick, and her friend Alazne that made him cringe. What sort of man was this? 

"If only I could have gone with her...," he whispered to himself. 

He remembered warning her that he would not be there to bring her down if she was carried away, and nor would he be there to catch her if she fell. His sheer powerlessness inflamed his roiling stomach. 

Link hurried to his desk and took a sheet of paper from the supply the King had provided him. He dipped the pen into the inkwell and sighed, then put the nib to paper and allowed his thoughts to flow. The great deal of reading he had done the past week helped him organize his ideas and make coherent sentences. This is what came of them.

Zelda,

I am greatly pleased to know that you feel comfortable at the Manor.  
I much enjoyed reading both of your letters. I was given them today with  
notice that they had been delayed because of weather. 

Your account of the ball was most entertaining, but I fear your association  
with this Aurick character is not a favorable one. It seems to me that he  
is guilty of some sort of shady dealings. I do not like what I am hearing  
about him from you. Please remember, my dear Zelda, what was said  
before you left for Gennasea - I will not be there to catch you if you fall. If  
something happens, I am powerless to protect you from it. 

Aside from this, I am happy to hear of your cousin's favorable relation with  
her beau Oszkar. I'm sure it would be a very exciting event indeed if they  
were to marry. 

I trust you shall enjoy yourself throughly. I shall keep you in my thoughts  
as always and hope that you will keep a small space in your thoughts for me.

Link

**************************

Link,

I have yet to receive a letter in return from you, and this worries me beyond  
comprehension. I trust that they have arrived and that you have enjoyed them.  
I yearn to read a letter from you as I have had no word from home in these  
three weeks. If only I had been given more notice, I would have ensured that  
you were in possession of all the necessary objects to return my correspondence.  
If you have not been able to procure the necessary utensils, please request  
them from my father, as he will be sure to provide them. You know he looks  
upon you as a son. 

Zelda straightened her shoulders and bit her lip sadly. Three weeks had passed at Ellefson Manor, and yet another day had come and gone with still no word from home. She feared her letters had gone astray, but her aunt informed her that the recent snowfall may have hindered the efforts of the mail carts to travel the multiple-day journey. Still, her heart was heavy. 

Much has happened since my last letter. Aurick, whom I now consider a dear  
friend, has stopped by several days this past week to call on me. A great deal  
of snow has fallen this past week, making his visits all the more entertaining  
since we are all cooped up in the manor. Elise and I have enjoyed his company,  
but Elinor always has more pressing matters to attend, and therefore rarely joins  
us. We play at cards and charades, and have occasionally had the great  
opportunity of listening to Elise serenade us on the piano. She is quite a virtuoso! 

Yes, I rather like this man. He is so different from the nobles in Hyrule proper -  
very open and generally friendly, with a sharp wit and a keen mind. He is in the  
banking business; his father owns several of them in town and in the surrounding  
country. His job is to oversee them. His mother is a socialite who enjoys throwing  
grand parties, though she has been unable to throw any recently. 

I must mention a rightly odd occurrence. One day when Aurick and I were taking a  
walk around the Manor, I noticed Elinor watching us secretively from behind a  
column. If Aurick noticed her, he paid her no mind. Later I asked Elinor why she  
was employing such stealthy tactics to keep an eye on me, and she completely  
denied the whole affair! She swore that she had been doing no such thing, that  
she had dropped an earring and was merely searching for it, and would I mind  
helping her look for it. Well, we searched and searched but never found such an  
earring, and so I do not know what to believe. I went to Elise and explained the  
story to her but had no luck in determining the cause for her sister's strange  
behavior. She is suspicious, however, and is determined to help me get to the  
bottom of the matter.

This past week has been an interesting one, full of excitement and intrigue. I   
have, however, found time enough to think dearly of you, my friend, and wonder  
how your week has been. Please sate my curiosity and write soon.

Zelda

Zelda wiped the tip of her quill and sat it in its stand, then capped her ink bottle. Picking up her letter, she blew gently upon the surface to dry the dark ink. She nearly dropped the letter when she heard frantic knocking at her door. 

"Zelda! Zelda! You've got a letter!" The exuberant voice rang above the knocking. Zelda quickly made her way to the door and opened it widely. 

"Elinor? Are you still awake?"

"Oh dear, were you asleep?" Elinor, evidently back to her chipper self, seemed only mildly surprised. "I didn't think to see if you were awake before I knocked. So sorry! I just returned from town and brought you this." She thrust forth a folded piece of paper, sealed with a simple white wax circle with a L carved into it. Seeing the rudimentary attempt at a signet seal struck Zelda funny, and she could not help but laugh.

"I was not. Thank you ever so much for delivering this!" Zelda took the letter and offered a warm smile. "What time is it?" 

"But one-thirty. Time for me to be off to bed! Enjoy your letter! Goodbye!" 

With that, Elinor bounded down the hall toward her own room, leaving Zelda to examine the letter privately.

Seconds later her door was shut and locked, the wax seal had been broken, and she was sitting at her desk, poring over the words. 

"Oh goodness...," Zelda murmured as she read the first paragraph. "I suppose this would be the first letter he's ever had to write!" 

The second paragraph drew a laugh and a broad grin. At the last line, her smile faded and her eyes glistened. 

The third paragraph she read once and then read a second time, paying attention to the awkwardness of his phrasing and tone. Deep down she felt guilty, knowing that her thoughts had been rather preoccupied as of late and had not dwelt on him quite as much as they might have. 

After gently refolding the letter, she slid it inside her desk drawer. She picked up her own letter to him and her quill pen, dipped the pen in its well, and proceeded to add this to the bottom: 

PS: Since I have written the above, I have received your first letter. Rest  
assured, my friend, you shall remain in my thoughts always. Oh, how I  
miss you!

**************************

It was the moments of inactivity, those periods where Link could not find a thing to do, which caused him the most frustration. 

As the King had finished his work early, Link found himself with a great deal of free time. He did not feel like reading, for he had read nearly every night for several weeks. Nor did he desire fishing, as the weather was far too cold. The only thing he could think to do was visit some old friends in town. 

This was not his preferred activity, as they would certainly tease him and ask piercing questions that would only bring his mind to bear on Zelda instead of getting her out of it, as would be the purpose. Yet it was the lesser evil, for at least he would be doing something. 

Link washed his face and hands in his washbasin, made sure his clothes were tidy, and swung his cloak around his shoulders. Town was only a short distance away, through the castle gates (after greeting the guards), down the road a bit, and then into the great settlement that was Castleton. His destination was the Castleton Inn, a grand old place with an eatery frequented by the entire town. He hoped to enjoy a meal, perhaps a round of watery ale, and a night of conversation with old friends. 

He was not expecting the burst of surprise and excitement that entered with him.

"'ell, watta we 'ave 'ere! Link!"

He heard the voice before he saw its source, and was quickly enveloped in a great hug. 

"Hello, Cymry," Link groaned, trying to loosen the big man's grip. Once Cymry's arms were loosened, he found himself being greeted, hugged, and shaken by a crowd, some of which he did not recognize. 

"Let's take Link 'ere to a booth, and get food in 'em! Look how skinny!" Cymry dragged Link away from the crowd and pointed him toward a booth. The rest of the crowd dispersed, eyeing him curiously. "Sit yerself down. What'll ye 'ave?"

"You're waiting tables now?" Link asked, picking up a menu. "I never would have thought." 

"Eh, I got soft in me old age," he quipped, grinning broadly. Link was completely caught off guard by Cymry throwing back his head and bellowing, "Lelari! Hathorn! Rory!"

"Have you been well?" Link asked, watching for the three whose names Cymry had called. They were old acquaintances from before he had moved to the castle, as was Cymry. 

"Very!" Cymry exclaimed. "Me n' Lelari got married!" 

Link's jaw dropped and he was about to respond when the woman, Lelari, wrapped herself around her husband and beamed. The other two men, her brothers Hathorn and Rory, stood beside her.

"Hello, Link," she purred provocatively. Link eyed her cautiously, his castle-cultured mind instantly finding fault with Lelari's revealing dress. She was the barmaid, after all.

"Greetings, Lelari," he nodded. "Congratulations."

"Thank ye. So what brings ye out of the castle?"

"I was wondering the same," Rory commented, crossing his arms. 

"Me also," Hathorn chirped. 

"I heard ye lady's up and left ye. Gone to da nort, to visit 'er relatives," Lelari taunted flirtatiously. "So what do ye do when yer birdie leaves 'er nest? Ye venture out to talk with the likes of us!"

Rory agreed. "Dat princess must keep ye locked up awful tight, Link... We've not seen ye in at least a year, maybe more." 

"A year at least," Hathorn nodded.

Link bit his lip. This visit was not turning out the way he had intended. 

"When did the two of you marry?" he asked Cymry. 

"Been seven munts now. Me and da missus'r livin' upstairs and helpin' run dis place."

"Impressive! I would never have guessed...."

"Jealous, Link?" Lelari wrapped her arm around her husband's waist. "Jealous, because ye missed yer chance?"

"Ah, no, Lelari, not at all, in fact I'm quite happy for...." 

"Why would 'e be jealous o' ye, sis? E's got a princess to 'ave his way with." Rory laughed mockingly. Link's eyes narrowed.

"I'm afraid you're mistaken. It's not like that...." 

"'Ay, lad, stop pickin' on 'im! Be gone wit ye!" Cymry shooed the younger man away. Hathorn followed closely behind. "Now, Link, what does bring ye here?" He slid in the booth across from Link, and Lelari slid in beside him. 

"Does Rory have a problem with me?" Link asked, watching the younger man weave through the diners and dancers. 

"Nah, Rory gets dat way sometimes. He's just jealous. Ye've got a princess t'romance, and he's got nothin'."

"I don't know if I'd call it romance," Link commented. "But she is a very dear friend of mine, and I would be lying if I said I did not miss her." 

"Aw, come now... Ye don't have a single feelin' for 'er? No love, no lust?" Lelari asked, snuggling closer to Cymry. 

"I suppose I would be lying if I said I did not," Link laughed, trying to relax.

"Ye know what dey all say, don't ye?" Cymry asked.

"No, what do they say? And who are they?"

"The townspeople. They all tink you and dat princess are gonna git hitched and you're gonna be our king some day along. Imagine dat, a king!"

"Mmm... a King," Lelari teased. "A crown'd look right purty on dat handsome head o' yours." 

"Wretched woman...," Cymry said, pulling his wife closer to him. She giggled helplessly and fought with him playfully. Link smirked, but found it difficult to watch the two lovers enjoy each other's company. 

"I would highly doubt that. Her father's probably hoping for her to marry a fine noble gentleman, not a low-born piece of work as I." 

"Ye think too ill o' yourself, boy," Lelari scoffed. "Ye live at de castle, a five minute walk from 'er highness' quartas. I bet you've spent a lot o' time wit 'er over de years." 

"I have." Link shifted in his seat. 

"You 'n she awful close?" Cymry prodded.

"Fairly." 

"'Ave you kissed'a?" Lelari grinned broadly, then slowly weakened her grin as she noticed Link's obvious discomfort. 

"As a child, yes. As a woman, no. It's not proper for a man and a woman to share those sorts of things before marriage in high society." 

"Bad luck fo' ye, then!" Lelari frowned at him. "Not one little smooch? One tiny peck on de lips?" 

Lelari's face darkened suddenly as several visitors cast a shadow over the booth. 

"'Ell, if it ain't de princess' private plaything! What brings ye down to this level? She grow up and throw ye out of 'er toy box?" the visitor taunted.

Link's temper suddenly flared as he heard and recognized the voice.

"Rogen. Well met," he said, gritting his teeth. 

"Ill met, plaything," he mocked in return. 

Link sprang from his seat and confronted the man. "Is there something I can do for you, Rogen? Or does taunting me make you feel better about your own base position?"

Rogen's friends exchanged worried glances. 

"Harsh words, from someone who once occupied the same base position as I," Rogen commented, his eyes flashing threateningly. He crossed his arms to accentuate the results of his job as a blacksmith's apprentice. 

"I once occupied the same, or lower. Yet I found a way to rise above it." Link stood straighter and stared ferociously into Rogen's eyes. "I shall repeat myself. Is there something I can do for you, or did you merely come to taunt me?"

"Only to taunt you, plaything. What a simple, easy life you must lead, how difficult it must be for you to fall back to our level. And oh, so difficult for the lady to leave her toy behind! Go back to your satin sheets and warm bed, Link. Sad that you shall find them empty." Rogen's words were sharp, but Link tried not to let them affect him. He clasped his hands tightly behind his back and set his mouth in a straight line. 

"I do not share my bed with her, Rogen." 

"Not anymore, at least." Rogen's friends laughed, and his mouth curved upward in a simpering smile. 

Link felt Cymry's large hand grip his arm suddenly, and realized he had been about to attack Rogen. He took a deep breath.

"Begone with you, Rogen," Link said, returning to his seat. 

"Oh, you leave the fight so soon?" Rogen mocked.

"Dat's it. One more word outta ye, and I'll remove ye from the Inn m'self," Cymry threatened, climbing over Lelari and rising to his full height, which dwarfed Rogen by several inches. "Take your cronies elsewhere, and leave us be." 

"Ye can afford hired muscle now, I see?" Rogen quipped, attempting to stare down Cymry. Cymry did not flinch. "I never did see you as one to fight a battle, Link. You don't have the build for it. Always the leader, never the fighter. I would've been surprised if you could have protected the princess 'ad she been threatened."

Before Cymry could stop him, Link was out of the booth and gripping Rogen's collar with white-knuckled hands. He pulled the man's face nearer to his own, so his words would sink in. 

"Look at me, Cymry," Link hissed. "You listen good, because you won't get another chance. That princess is worth more than my life, or yours, or Cymry's. The difference between them is that I protected her with mine. I still would." 

Rogen's teeth were bared in a ferocious snarl as he contemplated a response.

"That matters little when she is several hundred miles away," he snapped.

Link released his collar with a shove and pushed past him, his footfalls echoing thunderously across the dance floor. Couples parted as he headed for the door. 

"Link, wait! Don't let 'em get to you!" Cymry shouted, trying to follow him. The door slammed shut just before Cymry could catch him. Angrily he returned to the booth, where Lelari sadly watched him. Rogen and his friends had dispersed, leaving her alone.

"I feel bad for 'im, love," Lelari murmured, rising when he reached the table. "'He's changed so much, I can't even tell it's de same kid. An' 'e looked so sad, so lonely...."

"What d'ye expect?" Cymry asked, comforting his wife. "What Rogen said was very true. 'E can no more protect 'er from a distance as 'e can love'a to 'er face."

Outside it began to snow in great fluffy clumps, raining peacefully down on Link's dark cloak and concealing him from the street. Had he not been so fiercely emotional, the white flakes would have comforted and amused him, perhaps even calmed him down. He was almost running, full of anger and feelings he could not repress nor express. The castle loomed tall and ominous in the distance; it was his destination and his desperation. 

Rogen had opened wounds Link had hoped to be healed. He was perfectly honest when he had said Link could not protect her from here. That sentiment had eaten away at him from the letter he had gotten several days ago, and even now tormented him with their reality. 

It did not help his situation at all to see Lelari and Cymry, so happy and settled. It forced him to confront what he could only admit to himself; that he was, in fact, madly in love. 

**************************

Zelda,

Snow is falling outside my window this night. Earlier I found myself doing a  
great amount of thinking in it. 

I went to Castleton this afternoon to reunite with some of my old friends from  
town, and found that life has moved on without me. My friend Cymry married  
my other friend Lelari, and together they are helping run the inn. Lelari's brothers  
have grown. Only Rogen, who was my fiercest adversary as a child, has remained  
unchanged.

Rogen and I had a confrontation at the inn which ended with my leaving abruptly  
and having to walk back to the castle in this snowstorm. From the outside it was  
painfully cold and wet, but once I am inside and dry, I have found myself watching  
it fall and coat the ground with its clean white blanket. The snow has convinced  
me that I must come clean to you. 

How best to do so? I am not comfortable with these emotions, as I have not had  
proper instruction on what to do about them. The only way I know is to simply  
express it quickly: I most passionately and ardently love you, so much that I  
would risk your friendship, which I value above all things, to tell you. If only you  
were here so that I could tell you in person, and let you hear the emotion, rather  
than to read it! 

I long to see your face and hear your voice again. Please let me know if my  
words have ruined any affection you might have held for me, or if they have sparked  
them to action. 

Link

Link's hands moved in a staccato rhythm as he wrote the letter, replaced the quill, and held down the paper to blow on. His emotions rang thunderous in his ears, deafening him. In his mind the words had been so beautiful... yet on paper they angered him and made him feel childish and immature. How insane he was to write them! How could he dare to believe she might hold just a bit of feeling for him that might match his own, so fervent and amorous? 

Link released his anger, throwing back his head and moaning defeatedly. In one swift, unretractable move he snatched the paper from his writing desk, crumpled it, and cast it into the fireplace. 

Flame hands reached up and tore the letter asunder, erasing his passion. It was for the better, he thought. 

He wondered what Zelda was doing, at that very moment. Was she enjoying an outing with that Aurick man? Was he counting his blessings, wondering how he had captured the attention of the future queen?

Suddenly, sleep sounded very comforting. 

After pulling off his boots, removing his shirt, and rolling back the covers, Link flung himself onto the bed and pulled the covers up around his neck. Though the fire burned bright and warm, it could not chase away the winter chill.

As he drifted to sleep, the fire continued to consume his fiery words, ensuring that she would never know their sentiment.

**************************

The soft firelight cast a rosy glow on the cheeks and danced in the eyes of two children, a boy and a girl, nestled together in a large armchair. The young boy held a book, a child's reader by the looks of it, from which he occasionally read a passage. The girl rested her lovely golden-haired head on his shoulder and read along. 

"The... man... runs... far... ac... uh...." 

"Across," the fair-haired girl prompted. 

"Across! Across... the... pra... prar... prah...."

"Prairie. Remember that word? Like the field of tall grass?"

The boy shook his head. "I've never seen a prairie." 

She was astounded. "You've not?"

"But I'd like to, someday."

"You will! I know you will. Someday you'll travel the whole world," she encouraged.

"Only if you'll go with me," he said quietly.

"Of course I will!" she said, squeezing his hand. "I wouldn't let you have all that fun by yourself!" 

He beamed at her in response. 

"Well, now that is settled, let's finish the chapter for today. Try the next line." 

"It looks difficult...." 

She rapped him on the top of his head playfully. "Of course it is. But we'll work through it together!"

"He... ran.. to... the... Fee... Eld...."

"No, field." 

"I should have known that," the boy muttered.

"It's alright! You're doing wonderfully!"

He turned his head and frowned at the golden-haired head on his shoulder. She looked up to meet his eyes. "I'm terrible. Admit it." 

"I won't! You're doing very well! You catch on quickly." 

"You're only saying that," he murmured, then continued with the reading. "The field of... fine... li... lile... lilies?"

"Yes! Lilies! Those flowers with the white petals that father grows in his study. My mother's favorite." 

"...to... pick... one... for... his... bell... bee...."

"Beloved." 

"What does that mean?" He asked, confused.

"It means... ah... his best friend. His best lady friend." 

"Like you?"

"What?"

"You. You're my best lady friend, aren't you?"

"I... I suppose?" She said, tentatively.

"Does that make you my beloved?" 

"No, silly! That's only a word for best lady-friends, all grown-up!" She tapped him on top of the head again and laughed gaily. He soon shared her laughter.

"Well, then someday you'll be my beloved." 

He turned the page in the reader and examined the next page. Against his shoulder, the girl smiled.

"Have you ever been kissed, Link?" she murmured thoughtfully.

"Ki...I, uh... No, why?"

"Because I haven't either, and I always wondered what it would be like."

"Well, I suppose we cou...." 

She caught him off guard, wrapping her free arm around his neck and pulling his face around so that she could gently touch her lips to his. She lingered there for a long moment, and neither made a move to end the kiss.

She soon pulled back, blushing furiously and looking away. Link blinked, unsure what to say. Her shoulders shook as if she were crying. 

A giggle soon escaped, and he knew that she was laughing. Soon, both children were giggling innocently, enjoying the moment of experimentation, bathed in the honey-colored glow of the fire.

****

Zelda's eyes flew open as the memories returned; a younger time, a purer time, a gentler time. Oh, how she missed those childhood escapades! And more so, how she missed the one she shared them with.... 

******************************************************************************************************************************  
~ FINIS OF CHAPTER 3~  
Please continue the adventure in Chapter 4!  
******************************************************************************************************************************  
Please review if you enjoyed this fic! I appreciate anything you as a reader have to say. Thank you for reading!

~~@~~LauraCeleste~~@~~  
the_lone_gungirl@yahoo.com  
IE Browsers: http://celestial.topcities.com


	5. Chapter 4

* * *

:: Quill and Ink ::  
By LauraCeleste

AN: Yeah, I can't believe it either! Chapter 4 of Quill and Ink, twenty-four days before my College Graduation.  
I hope that those of you who've written to voice your appreciation for the story will find this chapter as fun and  
exciting as I do. I'm not completely satisfied with chapter 1 and 3, and I wish I could go back and rewrite them,  
but I am really happy with everything in this chapter, and with what will come next! Please see the endnote for  
more of my babbling about some plot things I've rearranged, but nothing that makes an impact, really. Ok, no  
more chatter; on with the story!

* * *

:: Chapter 4 ::

The rocky, hilly terrain of north Hyrule tumbled past the carriage window, a sprawling endless vista lightly powdered with a night's snowfall. Zelda leaned nearer, watching the landscape rumble by. The land seemed so inhospitable, so harsh that nothing could possibly grow...and yet she knew that from that miracle soil sprang lichens, mosses, and fungus that enterprising scientists were using to create miraculous new medicines and cures. Therefore, a land once shrouded with poverty found new wealth, and many of the northerners became rich farming the precious growths on their land.

"Oszkar's father earned his fortune from farming, did he not?" Zelda asked offhandedly, turning from the window to look expectantly upon her twin cousins.

"By the sweat of his brow, at first," Elise answered, "until his income was enough that he could hire several hands and turn his land into a rather prosperous plantation."

"He capitalized on what was given to him," Zelda admitted. "We Hylians are becoming a rather enterprising society."

It was true; experimentation and innovation were the new way of life in Hyrule. People grew restless and therefore looked beyond the realm of the known for knowledge. Hylian academies had never seen such attendance, filled to capacity with ambitious young men (and the occasional woman) studying History and Law, Mathematics and Sciences. Great new minds were born each day, each a future new innovator. People were discovering new technologies and inventing new devices.

People such as Elise's beau, Oszkar Cadwallen.

"Oszkar is very much his father's son, you'll see," Elise admitted. "He's always tinkering with one thing or another, hoping to create something out of nothing. There are all manners of wonderful devices tucked away in his workshop waiting to be finished."

"I should like to see them!"

"Oh, you shall see such things as you should not believe!" Elise admitted with infectious enthusiasm, wringing her mittened hands. Her giddiness made the princess smile, for she could clearly see how fond the usually reticent Elise was of her beau, and how very happy she was to be on her way to see him once again. She had been thus since early that morning, when the three girls had left Ellefson Manor for a visit with Oszkar's family. As the journey was not a short one, his family had invited them to spend several days there.

"Well, you'll not wait too much longer. We've no longer than a half-hour left, surely," Elinor speculated, patting her sister's arm. "And just look how red your cheeks have become! If only you could see!" Beneath her winter hood, Elise's face was flushed with excitement. She smiled at Elinor's good-natured teasing, but made no move to hide her reddened cheeks as her sister giggled endlessly. "Well, you may have your Oszkar, but I look forward to seeing Daisy, again. She's a sweet little dear," Elinor continued.

"Daisy?" Zelda exclaimed, intrigued at the mention of an unfamiliar name.

"Daisy is Oszkar's younger sister, three years our junior. She's very amiable, the gentlest girl of all my acquaintance...." Elise began.

"...But she isn't able to leave Wyndloch Manor very often. Such a pity," Elinor finished, sighing.

"Why is that?"

Elinor smiled sadly. "The same fever that took Oszkar's mother so many years ago left Daisy sightless in her infancy, before medicines were available to treat it. But she makes up for her eyes with her ears; the child can hear better than a jackrabbit."

"I've never met a blind person before, or at least, not so intimately," Zelda exclaimed, still amazed at the news.

"Oh, whatever you do, just don't think of Daisy as blind!" Elinor warned. "She can make do as well as anyone, I think. Wait til you meet her. If you hadn't known beforehand, I'm sure it would take a few moments for you to understand. She's as intelligent as her brother, and no less kind."

"Then she must be very kind indeed," Zelda said, smiling warmly to Elise.

"Oszkar dotes on her very much," Elise admitted, softly. "As his father is so often away on business and his mother has been gone these past thirteen years, he has raised her. He is several years her senior, you know."

"She is but fourteen. Oszkar is twenty-four," Elinor informed.

"It is odd, that she should be ten years his junior!"

"She was a surprise to the family, really," Elise sadly continued. "The family had not intended to have another child, and Mrs. Cadwallen was sickly all throughout the pregnancy. She never regained her strength after the birth, and when the fever spread so rapidly, she could not fend it off. Neither could poor Daisy, being but an infant. Oszkar and his father were spared, thank the trinity."

"So terribly sad," Zelda frowned, gazing out the window again. "But she is fortunate to have such a governor of sorts." Then, leaning nearer to the twins, she whispered, "Tell me more about Oszkar."

"Oszkar is...he's just...." Elise began, but could not finish. She chuckled.

"He is simply lovely," Elinor finished for her. "The sort of man all we young ladies clamber for." She paused for a moment to peer out the window, then clasped her hands together happily. "But you shall see for yourself soon enough, for we are closer than I thought! Look, there is the lake!"

Sure enough, sun-sparkling water lay beyond the window, and proudly standing nearby was Wyndloch Manor, the Cadwallen family's home.

"And there's Oszkar! See, 'Lise, he waits for us!" Elise was already waving, rather thrilled. Zelda saw Oszkar raise his hand in greeting, and noted a shorter figure beside him waving also. Her cousins' glee was infectious; she found herself unable to keep a purely candid smile from spreading on her lips. The carriage soon drew to a stop before the entrance of Wyndloch manor, and the carriage's door was opened in great haste.

"Daisy heard you far before I did, my dears! Welcome, welcome!" Oszkar exclaimed, offering a leather-gloved hand. "Which of you ladies will be first?"

"Take Elinor, she's been antsy since we left home!" Elise quipped, beaming brightly. He returned her smile warmly, and Zelda was touched at his obvious affection for her cousin.

He took Elinor's mittened hand and helped her from the carriage, then took Elise's and guided her down as Elinor went to greet the petite, fair-haired Daisy. He quickly lifted her hand to his lips before releasing it and motioning for Zelda.

"Your turn, highness!" Oszkar bowed. "Welcome to my family's estate; your visit is a great compliment to us."

"Please, just Zelda! Or cousin," she smiled teasingly, accepting his offered hand and carefully stepping down. "I'm glad to finally see the place Elise speaks of so dearly; It's lovely!"

And it was. The three-floored home with columns sat proudly overlooking a large curvaceous pond (which Elinor had called a lake.) A dock was built out into the water, whose surface was unfrozen despite the chill. It was a fine representation of a family's wealth, yet spoke of a modesty that was uncommon among such noble families; Zelda knew this to be true. She was very impressed.

"My father will be upset that he could not be here to greet you. Business has taken him north into Archtyl, and he won't be back for another day, good weather willing," Oszkar explained, as Elinor linked arms with Daisy and led her nearer.

"And you must be Daisy!" Zelda exclaimed warmly. The girl shyly curtsied, keeping her eyes cast low.

"Good afternoon, your highness. May I call you Zelda, as my brother might?"

"Most certainly!" Zelda exclaimed, fascinated as Daisy's eyes focused in the direction of her voice.

"When my brother told me you were coming to visit, I was quite excited! I was sure I would not get to meet you, unless perchance you came to visit our very home! Yet here you are, and so I have been proven wrong!"

"Here I am!" Zelda smiled at Elinor, who returned the grin with her usual cheer. It was refreshing to see Elinor's happiness return, since she simply had not been herself since the first ball.

"I'm sure the five of us will have such fun tonight!" Elinor chimed, clasping her hands together.

"Yes, well...there's no fun to be had that we can't have indoors. It's far too warm inside to exchange all our pleasantries in the snow! Come, ladies," Oszkar held one arm out for Elise and the other for Zelda. Both took hold, and the five strode inside.

::--::--::--::--::--::--::--::

In the days that followed his voyage into town and subsequent rush of emotions, Link felt wholly unable to do anything productive. He would pick up a new book only to put it down again, gather his gear to try fishing but turn around halfway, and set out for a relaxing horseback ride but would stay out hardly long enough to give the poor horse some exercise. His head was full of old memories of his childhood with Cymry and Rogen, soon followed by thoughts of his father and mother, whose faces he had not seen in at least ten years. The reunion had opened doors to memories he had forgotten, and nothing he did immersed him deep enough to erase them again. He was endlessly fidgety and frustrated, having no clue what to do with himself, and so wandered the halls in search of something new to do. The king finally set him to work fetching books again, hoping it could curb his ennui. Link considered it a period of solemn reflection; the King was determined to call it something else.

"Your moping around contributes none to the mood of my castle, Link. Perhaps you need to spend some time out of doors, or take up a new hobby. Painting is a nice activity; I'll have someone bring up the necessary supplies."

"What good would it do me?" Link mumbled back, watching over the King's shoulder as he penned an agreement. The strangely-accented, flowery script was in a foreign language Link could not read, but he enjoyed watching the monarch scribe the impossibly complex lettering.

"None, but it would certainly help me greatly," the king replied with dismay. "I tire of seeing you wandering aimlessly about. Hylian Policy, book 10, please." He looked up from his work as Link scurried up his library ladder and tugged a fat book loose, then carried it back to him and lay it before him on the desk with great flourish.

"Well, I'm sorry that my moping, as you call it, spreads such gloom."

"I meant no such thing. But, at the least, you could tell me what has caused such a change in your demeanor as of late."

Link answered with a grunt. "Sudden understanding of the way things are and the way they'll always be."

"Well now. That's rather vague." The king continued to write, dipping his quill in his inkwell occasionally. Link started, but could not bring himself to explain. "I hear you ventured into town a few nights ago...." he prompted further.

"I went to visit some old friends," Link said defensively, "and I had a bit of a run-in with an old acquaintance. Nothing to be concerned about."

"A run-in, eh?" The king's lips curved upward into a sly smile. "What sort of run-in?"

"You needn't worry, it ended without violence," Link said indignantly.

"Physical or verbal?"

"Pardon?"

The king removed his spectacles and turned to face Link. "Was your altercation physical or verbal? Was anyone injured?"

"Goodness, no." Link dropped in a nearby velvet armchair and fingered the fancy collar on his shirt. "It was only a war of words, useless words from a jealous man."

"I'm sorry to hear it." The king returned to his work, leaving Link in silence again, and feeling guilty.

"If you must know, an old acquaintance found it a prime opportunity to debase my station in life."

"How so? And volume 12 this time. But leave 10 here, I'll need it."

Link went to retrieve the volume. "Well," he grunted, scaling the ladder, "I believe he called me a royal plaything, for one. And expressed a general misunderstanding of my presence here, which prompted a rebuttal, and well, it went downhill from there."

"Royal plaything? How clever," the king chuckled as Link returned with the book. "But how do you perceive your station in life?"

"I would say I'm one of the luckiest young men in the kingdom," Link smiled honestly, returning to his seat.

"That you are, m'boy. But how exactly did they perceive it?"

Link was silent for a long moment, concentrating on the steady scratching of the king's quill on his parchment and the shrewd half-smile on his lips.

"They believed me to be an even luckier young man," he finally said.

"You've perfected the art of being cryptic, m'boy. Now you must work on full disclosure. How so?" was the king's humor-tinged response.

"It seems that...well, Rogen at least. Rogen, the one who confronted me, he thought that... he misinterpreted my situation with your daughter."

Link thought he saw a pleased smile replace the shrewd one, but it was quickly hidden.

"And how would you describe your situation with my daughter, Link?" The king's words were innocently delivered, but the sly tone told Link that they were not so.

"Am I being interrogated, your majesty?" He chuckled.

"Not in the slightest. It is merely the continuation of your own answer. For how can I know what one might misinterpret when I do not know how the situation is to be interpreted?"

Link pursed his lips. "I would say that we are close, as you well know. Some may consider it a particularly intimate friendship. But if you're worried about...."

"Just friendship, then?" The king removed his spectacles and sat back in his chair to better pin Link with his skeptical eye. Link sat speechless, completely dumbfounded, while his majesty enjoyed his discomfort. He decided to press further. "I believed there was a certain kind of love between the two of you. Was I...am I mistaken?"

"Sir...." Link stammered, feeling exposed.

"'Tis a simple question, requiring a simple answer." The king seemed solemn but his eyes twinkled teasingly, as if they were already privy to the information and were impatient for the revealing. Link's anguished mind tumbled over excuses and rebuttals, fearful that his well-intentioned but misguided letter had not burned completely in the fireplace. He shuddered to think that it might have been found.

"What business would I have romancing the princess?" Link shakily answered, instantly aware of a cold sweat. "And with her in the North husband-hunting? No, our friendship is just that. It would be foolish of me to feel anything more. Foolish!"

The words served more to convince himself than to convince the king. And so he laughed at his situation and at his impassioned words, forcing a false smile. The king continued to gaze in his direction but his eyes focused beyond, to the window. He did not seem amused, but rather confused, or perhaps displeased.

"Not so foolish as you might think," the king murmured thoughtfully, swiftly dipping his quill into his inkwell and returning to his writing.

::--::--::--::--::--::--::--::

Light from candle-lined chandeliers made the parlor at Wyndloch Manor glow with warm intimacy. Apart from simply being an elegant sitting room, a piano and various other instruments in the corner kept the place ready for an impromptu serenade. Music seemed to be a passion in the Cadwallen home, both the playing and the making. As the warm candle flames danced on the walls and ceiling, Oszkar and Elise were nestled rather comfortably together on the piano's bench, picking out tunes and laughing gaily. The others took tea and chatted nearby.

Zelda could not repress the envy she felt at their closeness, and it served only to remind her of how much she missed her own close friend. She could not keep her thoughts from drifting briefly to home, but she quickly returned them to the present once she heard Daisy's voice.

"Do tell me about your life at the castle, Zelda. How much more grand is it than our home?" Daisy expertly guided her teacup to her lips and sipped it, then leaned forward expectedly.

"Oh, it's larger to be sure, but not so cozy as this place," Zelda mused, examining the delicately carved woodwork and family heirlooms displayed proudly atop shelves and in cabinets. "I like these manors, very much. One lump, yes," she motioned to the servant-girl, who dropped one lump of sugar into her tea and carefully handed it to her. Zelda smiled warmly in thanks.

"Are there many people around, all the time? Do you ever have a moment's solitude, or must you always contend with courtiers?"

"Not so many courtiers! I usually do my best to stay away from the bustle of high court, as I don't care for the fawning attention. I often keep to the gardens or library."

"Do you much enjoy reading?" Daisy's voice held a sad wistfulness. "Oszkar often reads to me, but I have never seen the pages."

"I adore reading," Zelda admitted, "especially together, with a dear friend. It is a pleasure to share a story with someone very dear, as you with your brother."

Daisy's face held a strange expression; perhaps curiosity. "You speak very warmly about this friend," she spoke haltingly, "or rather, your voice seems...what I mean to say is...."

"Tell us about this friend, cousin. You've not mentioned her," Elinor finished.

Zelda did her best to remain unaffected. "Him, actually...." She took a deep breath and hesitated, unsure of a proper description. "He's a... well, my father initially took him in to be a sort of bodyguard for me after he helped me escape an attempted kidnapping many years ago. He was my dearest friend as a child, and is no less dear to me today."

"How very sweet," Elinor said simply.

Daisy closed her eyes. "He is very dear to you, I can tell. You read together often?"

Zelda's cheeks burned, and she wished for all the world that she could change the subject. "Yes. I taught him to read, and after that, we...."

"...You taught him to read?" Elinor asked incredulously. Much to her dismay, Zelda noticed that she now not only had Daisy's and Elinor's attention, but Elise's and Oszkar's as well.

"We used to sit together in the library and study my old readers by firelight. Those are very fond memories of mine." She remembered her dream from a week ago and was silent.

"This is he who sends you the letters?" Elise verified. Zelda smiled and nodded.

"We have so rarely been apart these last ten years," she offered in explanation.

"Beg pardon, but I'm rather confused, cousin," Elinor said emphatically, staring into her tea. "You seem so...well, this young man seems very dear to you, and yet you are seeing Aurick." She looked up and pinned Zelda with an accusatory glare. "Why?"

Zelda recoiled suddenly at her cousin's sudden change of mood. Seeing Aurick? Was that the consensus among her friends? She grew flustered. "But I'm not...Aurick and I, we're not...."

Daisy's eyes flew open and she patted around for Elinor's hand. "Aurick? Aurick Salbatore?" she asked in a voice Zelda could only interpret as horrified. Elinor nodded and squeezed her hand.

"The very one. Zelda, if this friend is as dear to your heart as he sounds, why must you linger in Aurick's company?"

Daisy fidgeted, but said no more. Zelda, too, sat silent; shocked at her cousin's strange tone, and terribly confused at Daisy's sudden discomfort.

"I think we need some music," Oszkar said, breaking the uncomfortable tension. "Elise, would you play for us?"

"Only if Daisy sings with me," Elise challenged. "Daisy? Would you?"

Daisy excused herself and took her brother's seat at the piano. As the first few bars of the song began, and as Daisy's gentle soprano elevated the mood, Zelda closed her eyes and tried to chase away the confusion which clouded her mind, determined to enjoy the newness of her surroundings. She ached from her cousin's strange behavior and from her inability to articulate a response. As the notes grew in emotion so did she, until she was simply swelling with so many jumbled thoughts that she did not bother sorting through them. She blinked upwards, indignantly fighting back tears of frustration that seemed insistent on dampening her cheeks. Elinor's level stare kept her from losing herself, and though she avoided the gaze, she felt the girl was demanding answers.

Zelda would not give them.

::--::--::--::--::--::--::--::

The king was rather surprised that evening to hear a knock at the door to his study. He was not surprised, however, to see that it was Link, looking rather full of energy. It was a change from his demeanor in the afternoon.

"Your majesty! I'm glad to see you're still here," Link began breathlessly, striding resolutely insde and positioning himself before the king's desk.

"I was only catching up on some reading. What brings you here this late?" The king asked, removing his spectacles and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"I, well," he began, then frowned. "Your majesty, may I request your blessing to leave the castle for a short time?" The words rambled forth haphazardly, and he fidgeted silently while he waited to see how they would be received.

The king looked up from his work and blinked, quite surprised. "You're more than welcome to take leave, Link, any time you wish. To where are you bound?"

"I've not been able to stop thinking of my family since my trip to the Castleton Inn. I haven't seen them or heard from them in forever, since I came to live here." Link breathed deeply. "I thought I might visit the old place, if it's no problem."

Silence. The king blinked twice, tapped on his chin with the feather of his quill, and opened and closed his mouth. Finally, he replaced the quill in its holder and sat back.

"You may visit your old homestead, Link, but you will find it vacant. Your parents have since moved south, near Ennisdel."

Link had never heard of Ennisdel. "To where?"

"Ennisdel. A full day's journey south by carriage, along the route to Bretingue."

Link could not hide his surprise. Bretingue was a prosperous trading town, on the border between Hyrule and Rouelin, its southernmost neighbor. The borders were not well defined, for Roulies were as common as Hylians in that region. So common, in fact, that the Hylian language had become acceptably intermingled with Roulish and everyone understood both. But when he left their care, neither his father nor mother spoke a word of Roulish.

The surprise was not enough to discourage him. "How far can I get per day on horseback, with proper provisions?"

"If you leave early tomorrow, you might make it to Avinguedon by nightfall, and can stay the night in a proper inn. I'll give you money for board and toll fares. Then from there, half a day to reach Hesper, where you'll cross the Solaine by ferry. After that, only a few hours' travel will bring you to Ennisdel. Here, let me write it down for you." The king pulled a sheet of parchment from a drawer and hurriedly sketched a map, writing town names where needed, then handed the parchment to him. He then pulled a key from his pocket, walked to the iron safebox in the corner, and opened its heavy door.

"Do you have your moneypurse with you?" The king asked, rifling around inside the safebox.

"I brought it, but there is nothing inside," Link admitted, handing him the velvet drawstring pouch.

"I'll rectify that." Coins jingled as they entered the pouch. It sounded like far more than he needed, but he said nothing. Once the king was finished, he handed back the now-heavy pouch and smiled.

"Goodness... your majesty, this is...will be more than enough, I think." Link weighed the pouch and returned it to the pocket of his trousers, then folded his arms awkwardly. "Thank you. I'm honored that you trust me so."

"Well, I gave my Zelda a similar amount when she left for Gennasea. And you're the closest thing I have to a son, so...." He awkwardly patted Link on the back, but his cheerful smile seemed to fade in and out of melancholy. He offered a gentlemanly handshake, and Link accepted it. "Have a safe trip, and please come back feeling better!"

Fuzzy images of his parents and younger brother, who was barely five when Link had left to live at the castle ten years before, tumbled through his mind. Remien would be all of fifteen now. And living in the south, where the culture was different. His upbringing had doubtless been nothing like Link's. Would he even remember him? Excitement replaced all melancholy as Link headed for his room to gather his things.

He did not see the king's stunned and somewhat sad expression, which followed him out the door.

::--::--::--::--::--::--::--::

A knock at Zelda's guestroom door startled her from a light sleep. Blinking away drowsiness, she fumbled with her candle and flint and called that she would be up in a moment. Once she succeeded in lighting her candle, she made her way to the door and was surprised to find Daisy there, attired similarly, looking terribly embarrassed. She was at first surprised to see that Daisy did not carry a candle, but quickly understood that a blind girl would have no need of light to guide her path and smiled sheepishly.

"Your hi... Zelda, might I speak with you," she asked timidly, her eyes focusing in the direction of the door as it creaked wider. She was noticeably bothered. "It's not terribly...well, I suppose it is. It is very important. I'd like to speak to you confidentially, if I may."

Zelda rubbed her eyes wearily and allowed the girl into the room, then closed the door behind her. Before she could turn and help, Daisy felt her own way to an armchair and carefully sat down, unused to the guestroom's surroundings. Zelda chose a chair across from her.

"I hope that I did not wake you," she apologized. Zelda shook her head good-naturedly.

"And it was a good dream, too!" Zelda teased. "No, it is quite alright. Now, what would you say to me that has you so upset, Miss Daisy? What couldn't wait til the morning?"

Daisy took a deep breath and sat rigidly upright. "I have not ceased to worry since your mention of Mr. Salbatore tonight. Pray tell me, Zelda, what is your relationship with him? Are you truly unattached?" She spoke anxiously.

Zelda was honestly not surprised to hear the question. "Our relationship is merely that of friends! I am not seeing him in any sense. Where Elinor got that notion, I haven't the slightest...."

Daisy sighed in relief, clasping her shaking hands together. "...oh, I'm so glad. So glad indeed!"

"Why has it worried you so? Have you something against Mr. Salbatore? Please, Daisy, I'm a curious girl by nature, and I simply must know why some people seem so flustered each time that man's name is mentioned!"

Daisy bit her lip and sat for a long moment in silence. "Oh, Zelda, if only you knew what a reproachable character he is!" She finally moaned, shaking her head. "If only I could tell you...."

"Please, do tell! It seems that half of my acquaintance adores the man, and the other half shies away! You can put an end to the mystery." Zelda waited while Daisy seemed to mull over something, dueling with her conscience.

"Might I have permission to speak freely and openly to you without fear of reprisal?" Daisy asked earnestly, clasping her hands tightly in her lap.

"You may say anything you like," Zelda assured her, leaning forward.

"And may what I speak of be held in the strictest confidence?"

"Of course!" Zelda hoped what she had to say would explain Elinor's behavior, and Alazne's also.

Daisy took a deep breath. "I must have your strictest confidence, since what I am about to tell you could damage the reputations of several young women in Gennasea."

Zelda gasped, but said nothing.

"Since I was made aware of his existence, I have known nothing but bad to come of his connections. He is a gold-digger and a swindler, and leaves his ladies in fear of their lives."

"Can it be true? Can Aurick be so foul as this?"

"More so! He came to town a year ago, and since has made his way through at least four women! Two you know."

"I am all astonishment!" Zelda exclaimed in a whisper. "The two...."

"He was first with Alazne Melisande for a long while, though in secret, for she was but fifteen at the time, and he nearly eight years her senior. Then he transferred his affections to a rich young heiress named Hannah Ballard, leaving poor Alazne with nothing. I am privy to the knowledge that he threatened her life if she spoke of their affair. Then he left Hannah in the same fashion, and briefly left our country for Archtyl. He returned to Hyrule several months later and began wooing your cousin Elinor."

"But...that is only three," Zelda whispered. "Who was the fourth?"

"Please allow me to continue," Daisy offered meekly. Zelda simply nodded. "Aurick is from Archtyl, originally, and when he returned to his home country, he did so because his father, who had been ill for several years, had passed away. His mother has wasted and continues to waste all the wealth his father earned over the course of his lifetime, which explains why he seems to be preying on rich young ladies. Once a richer one comes available, he simply transfers his affections! But while in Archtyl he supposedly had some brief relations which fueled his flight back to Gennasea."

"Brief relations?"

"Zelda, it is terrible! No one is sure!" Daisy wrung her hands nervously.

"Sure of what?"

"That he had relations with some ladies of the night, while he was there! Common harlots!" Daisy was terribly embarassed to impart the fact, and Zelda was simply appalled. "He escaped to Gennasea when he learned that one of the ladies was found to be with child!"

Zelda audibly gasped, raising a shaky hand to her mouth. The wealth of private information to digest left Zelda speechless. Suddenly, in that short minute, she had learned everything! She was instantly ashamed of her friendship, ashamed that she had not paid more attention to her cousin's obvious hatred to the man. No wonder Elinor had acted so confrontational. All the resentment she had harbored since that evening left her, and was replaced with remorse. "Daisy, is this true? Can this be true? Can it?" She stammered, but knew that it had to be, for the girl's tone was sincere. "How do you know this? How did you learn all these horrible things?"

"Sometimes it is a blessing to be blind," she softly admitted. "I tend to overhear things clearer than most. I eavesdropped! I know that it was improper of me, but the voices were so earnest that I just had to listen!"

"But who! Who did you overhear?"

"Alazne and Elinor! It was shortly after she had broken off the... oh my! I forgot!" She put a pale hand to her forehead, then continued. "He actually proposed to her! To your cousin Elinor! She was going to elope with him! But they were almost caught by Lord Ellefson, and once the danger had passed, she decided that she would not go through with it!"

"Brave girl!" Zelda whispered passionately.

"But Zelda, he tried to defile her! He almost had his way with her, but she was able to escape him!"

"This man was once my friend!" Zelda said through gritted teeth. "How ashamed I am that I brought this man back into Elinor's life!"

"But how could you have known?"

"I did not pay attention to my cousin's and to Alazne's feelings! I thought only of myself! How reproachful!" Zelda buried her head in her hands. "Daisy, please tell me he was unable to harm her!"

"He disappeared after the incident, and was not seen until he appeared at the ball just recently," she admitted quietly. "I am so relieved that you now know the truth!"

"I know it, but I am no less guilty! What can I do?" Zelda implored, taking the girl's hand in hers. "What can I do to bring this man to justice?"

"Oh no, Zelda, no!" Daisy shrieked, pulling her hand away. "No! You mustn't say a word! Elinor and Alazne know that I know, but if Aurick were to find out that the two of them... oh, he would harm them, Zelda, and I couldn't bear for anything to happen to either of them! Please, Zelda!"

"But I can't do nothing!"

Daisy stood shakily and curtseyed. "I must return to my room. Please, Zelda, please keep in mind what I have told you, but do not say a thing to Aurick! I....I would not put it past him to try and harm you, as well!"

As the door softly shut, Zelda shook her hands nervously and sobbed helplessly. She remembered snatches of conversations from earlier; things Elinor had said, or things she had observed, which suddenly made perfect sense.

She longed to confide in someone, but knew that she could not. Her dearest confidant, the one to whom she could confess most secrets, was many miles away. His words to her before she had left, "I will not be there to catch you when you fall," echoed in her mind; it made the danger of her situation seem all the more serious. The one whom she had always relied on for protection, for comfort, for advice, was not there to help her this time.

Wiping tears from her face, she headed for her luggage, found her carefully packaged writing equipment, and set it out before her. After hastily pulling out a sheet of parchment, she dipped her quill in its reserve and began to write.

"Oh Link, I have never wanted for you so much as I do now! How I need your good sense...."

* * *

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~ FINIS OF CHAPTER 4 ~

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_END NOTES_:: I changed one small thing in this section which most people won't catch; the way Link ended up at the castle ten years ago. Instead of aiding in some sort of siege, as I said in chapter 2, he simply helped foil an attempted kidnapping of Zelda, which in the society I have created for Hyrule seems more appropriate and believable. When I get a mind to do it, I'll go back and change it in chapter 2.

I appreciate anything you as a reader have to say. Thank you for reading, and if you're able to leave a review, thank you for that as well!

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~~@~~ LauraCeleste ~~@~~

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the_lone_gungirl@yahoo.com

  


celestial.topcities.com


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